Code 000: The FranXX of Black and White
by SpectralTigger
Summary: Kirito is offered to become a beta tester in a new system on the soul translator. Asuna wants to join him, but apparently she's forced to. For the game to work, a partner is required to play and for some odd reason partners have to be the opposite gender for "best experience". She's the most compatible person with Kirito, their link is exactly what's needed to pilot a FranXX.
1. August 2nd Part One

**Sorry for those or all of you that was expecting a chapter of Zekken, Ladybug, & Cat Noir, I started this new fanfic recently since no one made a crossover for SAO and Darling in the Franxx. I wanted to finish one chapter at least so I could post it as soon as possible, but the next one updated will be Z, LB, & CN. Also I never read anything ahead of the anime so I don't know how season 3 ended and Kirito's condition out of the STL.**

* * *

Chapter 1 **Code:000**

It's been months after the Underworld incident. Kirito has mostly recovered from his brain damage and the production of the Soul Translator resumed again, under Kikuoka's group.

The young couple entered the quiet cafe and seated in one of the booths, anticipating Kikuoka's arrival. Asuna constantly checked her phone, looking at Kazuto's heart rate. Trying to calm herself from distress, "Are you sure testing a new game is ok in your condition?" The raven haired teen was hesitant to respond, he was still unsure of his health, some memories are still vague to him.

He lifted his hand to move strands of her chestnut hair to face her hazel eyes, "I'm testing it in the STL, nothing will hurt me. Besides it kept me alive after the encounter with Laughing Coffin." He moved his hand down to hers, bringing it closer to admire the ring upon her finger, "It's even better now that you're always gonna be with me."

A pink tinge appears on her face with a smile, "I'll always be your partner, till death will do us part." she gave him a little peck on the cheek.

Shortly after, a door swung open and shut. A familiar man in a gray suit with a stern look approached the two, holding a thin leather bag in his right hand. Asuna was slightly alarmed unlike Kazuto who stayed serene. Kikuoka fixed his glasses and turned his attention towards the two, "Good Morning Kirito-san, Asuna-san. Both of you know why you're here right?"

"To know more about this new system that we're beta testing." said Kazuto, both thrilled to know but perplexed at the same time.

Kikuoka opened his bag brought out a laptop, revealing slides of the world inside, "This program is called Code 000. Unlike the Underworld, it's set in the future where Earth is now a wasteland. Humanity discovered a magma energy that provoked these atrocious beings called Klaxosaurs." On the screen was designs of black and blue creatures in various shapes and sizes, but looked massive and destructive. "These monsters are attracted by the magma, but you two, along with many other pairs will be piloting a robot that's called a FranXX which functions mainly on the compatibility levels between a male and a female." On the screen was the structure of the FranXX, the exterior looked like female robot with a magma powered lance. "This is the reason why I wanted Asuna-san to join you."

Asuna tilts her head, looking closely at the cockpit, "Why is there only one seat in the entire body? Where does the other partner go?"

Kikuoka looked at his watch, "Well sadly, we cannot finish this conversation. A helicopter is waiting to transport us back to the Ocean Turtle. Someone in the system will explain the rest, but now we should go." He packed up his stuff, "Follow me." He stood up and left the cafe, with Asuna and Kazuto trailing behind.

* * *

**Over the Ocean Turtle**

The helicopter hovered near the Ocean Turtle, Kazuto peeked out the tinted window, "So that's how the base looks like..." The exterior was of a four sided pyramid, about a 25-story building, covered with a layer of black, hexagonal solar panels that looked like a shell. The helicopter started to descend onto a green landing pad, near the roof of the facility. Kikuoka left the chopper immediately after the helicopter landed, he then opened the back door as they unbuckled our seat belts. "Higa-san and Rinko-san are waiting for us in the main shaft. Let's go."

They proceeded to follow him down the hallways, Kazuto spotted multiple cameras through the corridors. Asuna noticed his observation, "When I first went down this hall, they thought I was Rinko-san's assistant, Mayuri Reynolds. Even the camera couldn't see through my disguise, which was only a wig with sunglasses." The two chuckled at the system security.

Eventually they stopped in front of a metal double door, "And we're here" Kikuoka entered a code in a panel near the door and faced a camera, soon after the door slid open. Inside was the main control room, Higa was lounging around in his chair probably napping while Rinko looked through the world on the screen at the opposite side of the room. Kazuto stared at the screen, speculating on a dome on the screen. There were people living inside the dome. Oddly they were all adults, not even one child was roaming around.

Rinko turned around to see the three, "Yuuki-san, Kirigaya-san, good to see you two again. Anyways let's head over to the STLs." Higa woke up and waved at Kirito and Asuna, she smiled as Ichiemon rolled up to Higa, distracting him as the four left towards the STLs.

Kazuto thought about that robot, mumbling "I wonder if I could make a body for Yui to control." he began to zone out, imagining the design and how overjoyed their daughter would be. Asuna nudged his arm when they arrived, nurse Aki was waiting inside, it was reassuring that a friend was gonna watch over them.

Kikuoka explains how the testing will operate, "For the next 5 days, the two of you will stay here and test the system. For 4 days, you will be brought out 3 times for meals and for cleansing and don't worry, time will be slowed down so you don't miss a thing. During those 4 days will be about a year in the STL, starting around the end of July. On the last day here, you will rest normally and we'd like a full review on its concept."

Kazuto comments, "So a break every month, that's sounds great."

Nurse Aki hands us some white garments for us to wear, we went into separate changing rooms and set our clothes aside. They went through the basic set up procedure, even had to decontaminate the whole room. Kirito and Asuna were told to lay down onto the gel beds, Kikuoka set up Kazuto's helmet as Rinko set up Asuna's. Aki monitored their heart rates as the machine booted up. Kikuoka moved towards the computer in the room and began to enter them into the system, "Word of advice for you two, don't use your names at all. Try to be like everyone else, don't stand out, just follow the code."

The Soul Translator turned on, Kazuto and Asuna entered the system, a bright light clouds their vision until the white faded into a thick orange color.

Kirito contemplated on what Kikuoka said, 'What did he mean by that?'

* * *

**Into Code:000**

The two spawned inside a plain medical room, facing up towards the ceiling, neither Kirito or Asuna can see clearly through the orange liquid, they could barely move their limbs too. Kirito tried to reach out, his hand finally hit something past the liquid. He felt around, the container they were in was some kind of tube. Shortly after they could spot was an old man wearing white watching them over the glass, and in his hand was some kind of device that probably controlled the machines. He pressed a couple buttons and suddenly the fluid flowed down, he did the same to Asuna's tube. When the liquid was completely gone, the glass slid down, allowing air to enter the container. Asuna tried to breathe, her entire body felt limp, she could hear Kirito struggling nearby. His limbs felt numb, his attempt to sit up failed until the old man inject something into his arm. Suddenly a rush of energy flowed through his veins and he was able to move fine now but felt oddly lighter than usual,the man did the same to Asuna. She cautiously studied his appearance, he didn't seem threatening, he looked like a plain doctor except what spooked her was his robotic eye, the right half of his face was metallic while he other was all human.

Both of them sat up in their container, wearing a dull white shirt with white shorts, watch the man as he spoke, "I am Dr. Franxx, everyone here calls me Papa, for I created every parasite in the garden, which is where we are now. You two are the first pair of parasites to be grown past the child stage." He walked over to Kirito and gave him a wristband to wear with numbers on it, "You will be Code 096." he then walked to Asuna and gave her the same wristband with different numbers on it, "You will be Code 046." The two of them moved their legs, crawling out of the machine and on their feet. They stared at each other in shock, they appeared younger, about early teens. Asuna recognizes Kirito's face, he looked the same when she first met him, in the town of Tolbana back on Floor 1 in Aincrad.

Two guards entered the room with rifles powered with the same fluid they spawned in. Dr. Franxx said, "Like every other parasite here, you two have to do the capacity test. This is so we can know if you two are compatible to operate a Franxx."

He slowly approached the guards, Asuna tried to walk forward and ask questions. She desperately wanted to know, Kirito raised his hand in front of her, blocking her path and quickly whispered, "It's best we don't ask now." Although he stopped her, he wanted to be informed too, the Doctor truly acted like an NPC, following the code as if he's forced. His persona was intriguing, similar to the Administrator's integrity knights, could someone like her exist here too?

Dr. Franxx turned around, "Follow me." He proceeded down the hall, the two followed with the guards trailing behind them. The corridor was plain white, but already reveals how advanced this society is, but the presence of sorrow and sadness lingers. Eventually we stopped near two hallways, one labeled 'Stamen' and the other 'Pistil'. Asuna realizes what Dr. Franxx meant by compatibility, her face slowly turns red.

"Codes 096 and 046, go into the proper rooms and change into your pilot suits. I will be waiting in the testing room, these two will escort you there. Hurry now, the others soon will be done." As he left, Asuna rushed through the 'Pistil' corridor, her face burns a bright red while Kirito faltered as he walked through the 'Stamen' corridor. Inside were separate rooms for every two hundred parasites. Asuna entered room labeled 010-100, inside was like a normal locker room, benches down the middle of many numbered lockers, typical except for the showers. There was no switch, some kind of force field barrier saying 'Parasite Only' separated them from the lockers, there was some kind of door or gate to get in the shower, but it seemed pointless if you could crawl underneath it. She claimed the locker labeled Code 046, expecting for there to be a suit inside, but there was some black and orange clothing, like a swimsuit but more like underwear.

She checked the numbered lockers next to hers, still had the same interior but nothing was inside, "This can't be the suit right?" As a last resort, she walked over to the panel and pressed play, it was a short simple video. The last part flustered her, how can a white skin tight suit suddenly appear on her, but she followed what it said. She stripped down all the way, placing her clothes and undergarments in her locker, replacing it with the black and orange underwear which apparently fitted perfectly and entered the 'shower'. After she shut the gate in place, something powered up, her feet were tingling as the suit appeared on her skin. The laser stopped at her neck, suddenly something was placed on her shoulders, she turned her head, looking at some kind of helmet. Attached to it was some kind of cord that was snapped onto her back, surprisingly not painful, then her foot was elevated as heels were attached to her feet. Causing Asuna to slightly stumble forward and open the gate, but quickly regained her balance. She examined herself, it was a plain suit, didn't feel tight or heavy, very breathable but didn't look durable.

A voice yelled down the hallway, "Code 046, are you done?"

Asuna fixed her hair and walked down the hallway, her heels made a clacking noise echo with every step, "Yes, I'm done." When she exited the 'Pistil' corridor, Kirito immediately caught her attention, he was wearing an all black pilot suit with a dark chest plate that stopped right above his stomach.

Before she could say a word, one guard nudged them forward as the other got in front of them. Kirito and Asuna followed the guard in silence while the other trailed behind. Asuna nuzzled herself onto Kirito, whispering "I like the black, it fits you."

He smirks at her compliment, "All I need now is a sword." She quietly giggles along with him, but stopped when they approached the door to the testing chamber, stepping away from him to prevent any suspicion. The guards stayed in place, Kirito took the hint and pressed on the key panel next to the door, causing it to slide open.

They stepped inside, welcomed by a dimly lit room with walls covered with monitors supposedly showing readings of both Codes 096 and 046, along with a viewing window across the room. Through the glass was Dr. Franxx with a red haired lady beside him. In the center of the room was a large sphere pod, it was open and within was a simulator of a FranXX cockpit. Asuna immediately recognizes the interior, there was still only one seat, but now she can clearly see a platform in front of the chair. "Can you hear me?", the pair directed their attention towards the Doctor as he waved his hand, still maintaining a dull, monotone expression. "Code 046, you have to get on your hands and feet, onto the platform, facing opposite of the chair. Code 096, you have to sit on the chair and grab the controls on Code 046." Both dismayed, frozen in place, Kirito's face reddened, as Asuna's turned bright tomato red, the two followed directions and climbed in the simulator. Asuna entered first and got down into the pistil's position while Kirito staggered to the stamen's chair, the moment he sat down, the controls around Asuna spring up in front of him. Waiting for him to grasp the handles, the pod closed and Kirito held the controls, pulling the trigger and initializing the startup process.

"Commencing stage 1 linking," said an automated voice. The screen on the back of Asuna's helmet lit up with their paracapacity scores already at 100 for both of them.

Asuna twitches as an odd but familiar sensation evoked those memories when Kirito first proposed to her. That moment was so gentle, that warm feeling coming back, being one with Kirito again, they were truly connected. Kirito was gasping for air, starting to sweat up a storm, his body felt numb but couldn't stop pursuing what he desired, so good and tempting. "Positive pulse, Negative pulse and P factor are stable and rising." Kirito peeked at the screen, their scores kept increasing, with no sign of it failing at all.

Dr. Franxx observed their paracapacity scores, they were phenomenal, for once his expression changed into a smile, he was impressed. "Now this is what you need to pilot a FranXX." he then asked Nana, "Which squad needs one more pair?"

She scrolled through each squad, all were full except for squad 13, "Squad 13 needs a fifth pair, Hiro and Naomi failed recently."

She felt upset thinking about that, the current squad 13 was important to her, Dr. Franxx noticed her sadness, "Code 016 will still remain in Plantation 13, but Code 703 will be sent back to the Garden. The boy can still pilot, he just needs the right partner, maybe his perfect partner may even kill him."

Nana's face froze, "Is that why we're sending her there too?"

Dr. Franxx sighed, "Her partner can only survive for one more ride, we can't let her go on stampede mode forever. Besides, they were already connected before their little incident 5 years ago." Memories of the lab, just hallways away, of that red klaxosaur hybrid and 9 year old Code 016, strapped down onto the table, their friendship and love, forgotten. "Although she's a beast, he became her friend, her prince, or what she'd prefer, her darling. Don't worry, he'll live."

He moved his hand onto the control panel and stopped the simulation, "Paracapacity Test terminated." said the automated voice and the pod opened up, revealing the exhausted couple inside. Kirito remained in his seat, Asuna was released from the platform, she slowly crawled out and sat up against Kirito's chair. Both of them felt out of breath, their faces were red and covered with sweat.

After a little break, Kirito raised his hand, asking, "Did we fail?"

Dr. Franxx responded, "No, Code 096, both of you have succeeded, your scores were marvelous. In fact, you two will be transferred to Plantation 13, where you, along with other 4 pairs, will protect protect the adults in the Plantation with your Franxx."

Asuna's head aches from her helmet or monitor rather, on her shoulders, she rubbed her head down to her shoulders and mumbled, "So we have to do this for the rest of the time here? Why a system like this Kikuoka?" Kirito heard her and wondered the same.

Dr. Franxx spoke again, "Now you will be escorted back to the lockers to change into your parasite uniforms." Kirito stood up and held out his hand to help Asuna get up, the door slid open once again with the same two guards standing in the hallway.

The two slowly approached the guards, Kirito pulled Asuna close and whispered, "Something is seriously wrong with this place."

She responded, "I know but I don't think they'll allow us to find out."

He shook his head, "We don't need permission, if they won't let us..." he looked back at Dr. Franxx, "then we're just gonna have to break the code."

* * *

**So that's my new fanfic, the cover will eventually change into one of my drawings since no one made fanart of Kirito and Asuna in FranXX pilot suits. Also I might name the chapters with the date in the STL. It might not be accurate to the Darling in the Franxx timeline, but I tried.**


	2. August 2nd Part Two

**Thank you so much for all the favorites and follows. Also HalFF, thanks for the advice, it really helped me improve my writing and SwordOfGods I'm glad that you enjoy this fanfic so here's another chapter. ****I changed Asuna's code to 046 so the title makes sense. 4-shi 6-ro, combined is shiro or white. 9-ku 6-ro, combined is kuro or black. Hence the FranXX of Black and White. (Added and fixed a couple things)**

* * *

Chapter 2 **Mistilteinn**

The two exited the testing chamber and followed the guards once again through the endless halls of the garden. They ended up back at the 'Stamen' and 'Pistil' corridors except someone was waiting for them. A man stood in the center of the hall, he had a buzz cut and was wearing dark colored uniform. "Codes 096 and 046, there are parasite uniforms placed in your lockers. It's essential that you change into them so we can depart to Plantation 13." Asuna and Kirito scurried off into their respective corridors.

Kirito entered the Franxx suit machine, the lazer started at his neck and went down to his feet. This brief process was captivating to him. The pilot suit vanished from his body as the black and blue striped shorts remained on him. He stepped out the machine and opened his locker which now contained undergarments, a uniform, and socks with shoes placed below it. He removed the black shorts and exchanged it with the underwear on top of the uniform. He examined his uniform, it was mostly a gray suit with a red y tie pointing up right below the collar. It was almost similar to his high school uniform, but more lavish and archaic at the same time with the matching knee length shorts and long socks. The uniform opened like a jacket, Kirito put it on and zipped it up. He pulled up the shorts and wore the socks and shoes. Everything fitted perfectly, nothing was constricting or too loose, he mumbled "How did they get my exact measurements?" Immediately he rushed out the 'Stamen' corridor, the two both finished and entered the hallway. Asuna's uniform was similar to his, the only difference was the skirt and instead of a red y, her tie was a red x.

The man leads the two down the corridors down the halls, towards a landing dock. Both Kirito and Asuna were freezing as they got closer. Eventually the walls were now windows, Asuna peeped out the window. The outside was like a winter wonderland, the faint light from the sun reflects off the white snow. The icicles hanging from the bare trees sparkles, it was a beautiful sight. She wondered if the wasteland Kikuoka mentioned was either a desert or more like this snow biome. Kirito turned to Asuna, she was obviously cold, her legs were shaking and she was hugging her arms to keep herself warm. He felt the same and got closer, wrapping his arm around her. The slight contact eased her, causing her body to stop trembling.

Shortly the three entered the landing dock, Dr. Franxx and the red haired lady awaits them at the entrance of the ship. Kirito examines the aircraft, its structure was similar to a jet with mostly a white exterior with a tad of orange mixed in. Kirito and Asuna pauses in front of Dr. Franxx as the man left and stood beside him, "Before we depart, let me introduce these two." He gestured to the stone faced man on his left, "This is Hachi, he's one of the adults assisting your squad and is in charge of the plantation's defense system."

The lady on his right introduced herself, "I'm Nana, I was Squad 13's caretaker when they were younger, so you can rely on me when you have a problem." She sounded kind and caring, her tone was like a mother's which is one that both Kirito and Asuna haven't experienced much of before. She wore the female version of Hachi's uniform.

Asuna smiles, "It's nice to meet you Hachi, Nana."

Kirito realized something about their names, "Code 007 and Code 008 right?" Both Hachi and Nana froze with a shocked gaze on Kirito. The two haven't been called their actual numbers for years.

Dr. Franxx slightly chuckled, "Precisely Code 096." The five board the aircraft, the interior was all white with big tinted windows. There were six seats, all were empty except the two in the back. There were two identical suitcases, but the one on the left was labeled 096 and the other on the right was labeled 046. Kirito and Asuna sat in the back with their numbered suitcases as Dr. Franxx, Nana, and Hachi sat in front of them.

The door closed shut and the aircraft vibrates then ascends into the sky. Kirito leans left, looking at the door to the cockpit of the aircraft, mumbling "Is someone driving or is this plane automatically moving?" He turned his attention out the window, the ground was covered with piles of snow. He barely spotted any wildlife in the air or on the trees below.

Asuna fiddled with her suitcase, it was kinda heavy, "Excuse me, but what's inside our luggage?"

Nana pressed a button on her seat, turning it around to face her, "Spare uniforms, a page, a formal uniform, pajamas, and your winter uniform. Which we should have given you earlier...sorry for that."

"No it's fine." Asuna opened her luggage and took out the page, "How does this thing work?"

Hachi turned his seat around, "That's your identification and how we contact you. It'll automatically turn on when we alert you or when you press a button." Kirito tuned in and grabbed his page examining it for a button. He waved the device around and his finger pressed down, causing the page to split open. A holographic screen appeared, displaying all his bio data with his picture and code underneath it. The style reminds him of a stacia window but orange and on a phone.

"So are we going to be living in Plantation 13 or other Plantations too?" Kirito questioned.

Dr. Franxx turns his chair around and said, "You won't be living in Plantation 13, more like on top of it." he immediately turned it back to it's proper position.

Nana cuts in, "It's called Mistilteinn but we label it as the birdcage."

Asuna murmurs, "Birdcage..." that word reminds her of Alfheim. On the top of the world tree, trapped in that huge botanical cage among the clouds. Straight out of Aincrad to becoming one of Sugou's captives. His revolting, bug-eyed face ogling her from outside the bars, tempted to crawl in and claim her as his.

That horror...

She shudders at the slight thought of it and shook her head to face her gilded hero. He was aimlessly staring out the window, slowly dozing off to sleep as usual. She giggled a bit and attempted to avert her eyes from his drowsy aura until his eyes widened as his mouth gaped open. Perplexed, she decided to view out he window and her face matched his. The once snowy winter biome just moments ago faded into a deserted rocky wasteland, almost similar to the Solitary Sands of Gun Gale Online. No signs of plant or wildlife could be seen anywhere within a mile radius, all was the same for an hour. It was petrifying, even the abyssal sky below Aincrad wasn't as terrifying. Asuna cowers in her chair, thinking "What kind of apocalypse did Kikuoka send us in?" She turned to Kirito who was already asleep in his comfy chair, she decided to do the same. She mumbled, "Hopefully the environment will be different and actually alive at the Plantation 13."

* * *

**One hour later**

Kirito woke up from his nap, he yawned as he stretched out his arms. "We will arrive in 10 minutes." said an automated voice. He rubs his eyes then turned to Asuna who was still sleeping. Her face was so cute, serene and peaceful. He reached out to poke her cheek, her eyes fluttered open to then look at him.

He whispered, "Hey sleepyhead. We're almost at the Plantation."

She nodded and straightened herself up, grabbing onto her suitcase and placing it on her lap. Kirito peeked out the window once again to see their new home. The Plantation was a colossal metal dome surrounded by the rocky wasteland, on top was some kind of cage. As they got closer, he can see the inside of the cage was all green mixed with blobs of blue. Kirito wonders, "Maybe Mistilteinn will actually be normal." They started to descend for landing, Kirito somehow spotted guns hidden within the layers of metal, some were around the base of Mistilteinn. He remembers about the Klaxosaur monsters Kikuoka mentioned before, but he never said how big they could be. The fact that there were guns up that high was unsettling. The aircraft hovered close to the ground as a massive metal door slid open, then eased inside a parking dock. When the aircraft landed, the five got out their seats and exited the vehicle. The metal door started to close as the air from outside leaked in, it felt dry and dusty. The parking dock was massive but hollow, there were 6 stands on the wall about 40 meters high with an elevator to the top of the stands. The group headed towards a separate elevator across the room, Kirito asked, "Is this where our FranXX will go?" his voice echoes throughout the room.

Dr. Franxx responded, "All five FranXX will always be here. They're currently being built, so it'll take a couple weeks until your squad can ride one."

Asuna slowed down her pace to pull her and Kirito behind the three. She whispered, "Does that mean we have to be in _that_ position all the time now?"

He was confused, then blushed when he realized what she meant, "Apparently that's how they work. This Plantation needs people to pilot these FranXX, that's the only purpose for parasites like us." He held her hand as they entered the elevator, "At least we're not soloing through this again."

Both of them smiled and she placed her head on his shoulder, "Yeah..."

Dr. Franxx observed their behavior, it was rare to see parasites act like this. The last time he ever seen or experienced this kind of affection was years ago, before the era of FranXX. Suddenly the elevator illuminated as it passed the inner city. Through the elevator glass was the inside of the dome, it was pitch black with numerous amber lights shining from the various buildings in the Plantation. Kirito and Asuna got against the glass and stared in awe as the lights flicker. The elevator dimmed down as the city got out of view and started to slow down. It shook as it stopped at the top. The doors slid open to reveal a hallway with a red carpet, there were two doors on the left and one double doors at the end of the hall.

Dr. Franxx said, "Hachi, alert everyone in squad 13 to gather in the stamen living room.

"Understood." Hachi left the group and entered the closest door from us. The rest of the group walked down the hall, through the double doors. They entered another room with glass walls that separated them from the outside. Finally they exited the building and were greeted by a bridge over a body of water. Kirito and Asuna were astonished by the environment, it's been the only normal place they've seen so far. Sunlight beams from the sky and reflected off the water as a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the lush forest ahead. The two wandered across the bridge, still hand in hand onto the path below the trees as Dr. Franxx and Nana followed them. Birds flew over them, their melodic chirping echoes then leaving a blissful silence. This peaceful trek felt similar to the long walks in the forest around their log house back in Floor 22 on Aincrad. Asuna looked down at their hands, thinking about the only thing that would make this better. She imagined that Yui was between them, smiling and giggling as they swung her back and forth.

Kirito looked beyond the trees and saw 3 story house in the distance, assuming that's their new home. He felt uneasy as they got closer to the house. It seemed more like they're going to a prison than a home. Asuna broke the silence and whispered, "Do you think the rest will be like us?"

He wondered how the other parasites will be like. They could act similar to an NPC like Dr. Franxx and Hachi or they'll be more alive like Nana. "As long as they're not hostile, that's all that matters."

* * *

Hiro lays in his bed, thinking about his and Naomi's paracapacity scores. He was utterly frustrated and distraught. Not only did he fail the paracapacity test, he had dragged down one of his friends with him. Going back to the garden haunts him, the other codes from when they were kids disappeared after they took their tests. Sadly he might end up like them, useless and forgotten forever. He slammed his hand on the wall, then suddenly his page beeped. He grabbed it from his pocket and read the message 'Gather in the Stamen living quarters'. He rises from his bed and tried to change from his gloomy state. He hanged down his head as he opened the door and headed down the hall to their living room.

"Hey Hiro" says a familiar voice.

Hiro raises his head to see Goro down the hall, "Hey Goro..."

The taller blonde boy approached him, asking "Did you get the message from Hachi too?"

Hiro was somewhat relieved that it wasn't just him, "Yeah, I think everyone did too." The two continued walking down the hall towards their living room and opened the door. Everyone was chilling inside, Mitsuru and Ikuno both were sitting down reading their books. Miku, Zorome and Futoshi were messing around about something again while Kokoro and Ichigo were comforting Naomi.

Ichigo noticed the two enter the room and walked up to them, "Hey Hiro, Hey Goro. So do you two know why we're here?" Both of them shook their heads, "Well apparently Dr. Franxx and Nana are coming here." Hiro was wide eyed and became nervous again. Ichigo noticed and placed her hand in his shoulder, "Don't worry, I don't think it concerns you and Naomi. Hachi told me there's two others with them so it should be fine. Ok?"

Hiro settled himself down, "Yeah maybe."

The three sat down on one of the couches. Hiro took a glance at Naomi, hoping that they'll won't go back to the garden. The door opened, Dr. Franxx stepping in with Nana and oddly no one else was with them. Nana clapped to get everyone's attention. Zorome, Miku, and Futoshi quickly settle down. Zorome always beamed with happiness when Nana was around. Nana spoke, "So we gathered you all here to introduce your new squad members." Two people entered the room, both were wearing the parasite uniform. No one in the room recognizes them at all from the garden. The male looked similar to Hiro but was taller and had deep gray eyes. The female was the same height as the male, she had long chestnut hair with hazel eyes. Nana gestured to the male, "This is Code 096." then gestured to the female, "This is Code 046". Kirito scans the room, there were 10 other people in parasite uniforms which confused him. He recalls that Dr. Franxx said that there were only 5 Franxx per Plantation, but including himself and Asuna was more than 5 boy-girl pairs.

Hiro and Naomi were shocked at her announcement. Hiro was trembling as he raised his hand, "Does that mean we're being replaced?"

Dr. Franxx stepped in, "Code 016 and Code 703 follow me, for we have much to discuss." Naomi and Hiro stood up and followed Dr. Franxx out the living room, afraid of what he'll do to them. The remaining parasites in the room were speechless and upset, creating a gloomy atmosphere.

"I'm sorry for this but don't worry. They'll be back for dinner." reassures Nana. "Anyways these two will be living with you from now on, so show them around and get them acquainted here." She left the room and followed Dr. Franxx out the building.

Ichigo nudged Goro, telling him to get up and the two approached the pair. Ichigo cleared her throat, "Welcome to our squad. I'm Code 015 but my name is Ichigo."

The blonde boy towering over her introduces himself, "I'm Ichigo's partner, Code 056 and my name is Goro. Also if you're wondering, all of us have a code but we were given our names from Hiro, the black haired guy who left with them. However they stopped us from giving each other names and scolded us when we continued."

Kirito asked, "Could I guess their names then?" he points to the other parasites.

"Sure." said Ichigo

The short boy with spiky blonde hair spoke, "Have fun guessing mine. Hiro made mine the most complicated. "

Kirito smirks, "Try me."

"I'm Code 666."

Kirito thought about his numbers, all three matched. He murmurs, "Soroeru...or maybe.." he then snapped his fingers, "I got it, Zorome. Right?"

Zorome was dumbfounded, "What how?!"

Kirito explains, "Your name is just a play on words from soroeru or to match."

The chubby boy next to him laughed, "Guess you were wrong Zorome!"

"Shut it fatso." Zorome remarks.

"Anyways I'm Code 214."

Asuna said, "Futoshi."

Futoshi comments, "How'd you get it so fast?"

Asuna giggles a bit, "Well Zorome kinda gave part of your name away, sorry."

He groaned, "Why'd my name had to relate with my weight..."

The girl with pigtails stepped in, "I'm Zorome's partner and my code is 390."

Kirito guesses, "Is it Mikuo or Mikurei?"

She corrected him, "It's actually only Miku, not all our numbers are part of our name."

Kirito scratched his head, "Oh I should have considered that."

The girl with the hand band raised her hand, "I'm Futoshi's partner and my code is 556."

Asuna easily knew her name, "Your name is Kokoro. Your name is also how to spell heart, so I'm guessing you're a romantic or love type."

Everyone went silent, then Kokoro asked, "What's love?"

Asuna was shocked and said, "It's when you care about someone or a lot of people so much and they care about you too. It's also when you have an interest for an activity. Didn't anyone teach you this?"

Kokoro shook her head. Kirito was surprised, they're piloting something that relies on love and relationship power but they don't even know what that is.

The boy in the corner with a book in his hand spoke, "The caretakers in the garden don't teach the unnecessary." His tone was very serious and disparate from the others, Asuna found it kinda irritating. It reminds her of how mother's was like before she introduced the virtual world to her. "I'm Mitsuru, code 326 and my partner is Ikuno or code 196."

"Aww you're no fun Mitsuru..." Miku complains.

Asuna asked, "Wouldn't her name be Ikuro instead of Ikuno?"

Ikuno spoke, "Ichigo changed it when we were still in the garden by rotating the 6." Kirito wrote the numbers in the air then realized what she meant.

"Now we have to think of a name for you two." said Ichigo.

"You don't have to. We already named ourselves." said Kirito. "My name is Kirito, code 096."

"And I'm his partner Asuna, code 046."

"But your names don't follow your code." said Futoshi.

"We don't have to follow the code all time." comments Kirito.

"Anyways, girls let's show around Asuna on our side of the house while the boys tour Kirito around this side." says Ichigo. She latched onto Asuna's arm, tugging her out as the other girls followed them to the Pistil's wing.

Kirito turned to Asuna, waving his hand, "Bye Asuna." She waved back and continued walking across the hall with the rest of the pistils.

"When you three are done, we'll be waiting outside to show you the other places in Mistilteinn." said Zorome as him and Futoshi scurry off.

"Watch where you're going!" shouted Miku down the hall.

"I'll show you to your room first, then we'll head downstairs and maybe those two will tour around outside." said Goro. Kirito silently nodded as Mitsuru left his little corner and followed the two down the hall. There were three doors on their side, "There's only two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a living room on each wing."

They stopped at the first door, Mitsuru softly says, "This first one belongs to Zorome, Futoshi, and me." He mumbled, "Sadly." Kirito heard him mumbling, thinking that Mitsuru is one of the loner, quiet types. He kinda reminded him of himself in Aincrad when he was actually 14 years old, the loner beater.

Goro stopped and opened the next door, "This is the other bedroom where Hiro, me, and you will sleep in. You can have to the top bunk bed and you could unpack after dinner." Kirito stepped in his new room. It was just like a miniature version of the dormitory in Swordcraft Academy, he felt a bit of nostalgia. The only roommate he'd ever had was Eugeo, but sadly he was gone, deleted from the Underworld. Vague memories of his last moments with Eugeo and their battle with the Admin now haunts him, making a chill go down his spine. It was like someone grabbed the Blue Rose Sword and pierced his skin, using release recollection on him. He shook his head, placing down his suitcase next to the desk and left the room. Allowing Goro to continue the tour, "And the door at the end is the bathroom." They turned around, walking past the bedrooms, living room and down the stairs to the main entrance. The main entrance had two doors on the right and another two on the left. There was a grandfather clock at the bottom of the stairs with light shining through the stained glass behind it. Goro led the two down the first door on the right. Inside were small lockers, small cubbies, and a hamper at the back with sliding doors on one side. Goro slid open the door, revealing a huge bath on one side with buckets on the side and stools with shower heads on the other side. "This is the bath. There's lockers to place our clothes in and a hamper to place our dirty clothes."

Kirito looked around and didn't spot a washing machine in any of the rooms. He asks, "Do we do our own laundry here?"

"No, the caretakers wash them for us, they do everything except cleaning the house which our job. Also we have a schedule, the girls have their bath first after dinner then it's our turn. If you don't remember the schedule, you could always check on your page." said Goro. They exited the bath and entered the mess hall, "This is the mess hall, where we have our meals which are also prepared by the caretakers." Inside was a fireplace and 2 tables in front with 6 chairs each, "We sit at one table while the girls sit at the other one."

"Zorome stop!" says Futoshi outside the room. He peeked in the mess hall, "Goro can you help me please?" he ducked a ball as it flew over his head.

"Sure." He turned to Mitsuru, "Hey Mitsuru could you finish the tour?"

"Fine, I have to put back this book anyways."

"Ok thanks. Sorry Kirito!" Goro left the two and chased after Zorome out the door.

"There's only two rooms left which is the library and the infirmary." Mitsuru and Kirito walked out the mess hall and into the door across them. Inside was the infirmary, there were only 2 patient beds, a cabinet with all the medicine and the IV equipment tucked into one corner. "The cabinets can only be opened by the caretakers. The only kind we can grab whenever is the medicine for child fever." They exit the infirmary and went through the last door. Inside was another hallway with two doors then it turns at the end. Mitsuru opened the first door, behind was a big grassy area with the forest line meters away. "This is the backyard which is usually occupied by Zorome when he plays with Futoshi and Hiro." He closed the door and walked down to the other door. They entered the library, it was huge, almost as big as the main entrance. Most of the books were informative and some were children's books. There were no fiction books, picture books, and barely any kind of history books. Kirito found one history book and pulled it out, flipping through the pages. He eventually got to the end of the book and a page was ripped out, all except for the corner.

The only words on it was 'In 2037 Klaxosaurs began invad-' Kirito mumbles, "2037...This reality has struggled with Klaxosaurs for awhile. Maybe it's been decades since then..."

Mitsuru pulled out small book from his pocket and placed it back in the shelf, taking another one from a lower shelf. "You seem like a reader too. I recommend staying here or going to the garden if you wanna be alone." Mitsuru left the room, Kirito placed back the book and followed him out.

"Hey Mitsuru, what about down the hall?" Kirito points at the turn down the hall.

"That's the restricted area. It's probably just a couple old bedrooms and honestly I don't care what's down there." The two entered the main entrance, "You could go roam around now if you want. I doubt Zorome and Futoshi will actually tour you around outside." He walked up the stairs, "The girls are outside if you want to join them, but don't take so long, dinner is in an hour from now."

"Ok, thanks for the tour."

* * *

Kirito was alone once again. He looked back at the front door, deciding whether to go out or not. Then he faced the door to the restricted area and his curiosity got the best of him. He wandered back through the hall, pass the library and turned the corner. The hall looked more like a crime scene, with the police tapes over the doors. Kirito approached the rooms and slowly opened the door. It creaked open just a bit to reveal the interior of a bedroom, barely lit and dusty with few cobwebs on the bed frame. Kirito pushed the door back a little more, allowing light from the window behind him beam into the room. He spotted a picture frame on the table and reached in between the tapes to grab it. He wiped the dust off and saw a picture of 10 parasites standing in the front of the house, half were stamen and half were pistils. "These guys must have been the old squad 13."

Light reflects off the frame onto the wall, then a tiny red dot appears on the frame. He turned around and saw a small camera attached to the ceiling with a tiny red light blinking. He quickly returned the picture back on the desk and shut the door, running away from the camera. He ended up back in the main entrance and spotted another camera in the corner of the room. He retreated up the stairs and found another camera at the top of the stairs. Realizing he couldn't escape the camera's view, he went back downstairs out the front door. As he opened door, someone shouted, "Heads up!"

Kirito looked up and saw a ball heading towards his face. He swiftly reacted by crouching close to the ground and the ball zoomed behind him. He got up and turned around, grabbing the ball as it bounced back to him. "Nice dodge Kirito" compliments Futoshi, who was apparently right next to him on the porch.

"Thanks." Kirito turned to Zorome who was being yelled at by Goro.

"Great job Zorome, you almost hit Kirito." scolded Goro.

"Well how was I supposed to know he was coming outside and it didn't even hit him." sneered Zorome.

"Luckily Kirito had superb reflexes." said Goro

"Yeah." Zorome perked up and rushed to Kirito, "Can you tell me how to move that fast? Could you teach me how?"

Kirito chuckled, "I can't actually teach you. However if you can properly wield a sword, then we'll talk."

"Like on a FranXX?" questioned Zorome.

"No, a real one that you hold in your hand." Kirito throws the ball at him and walks towards Goro, "Do you know where the girls are?"

"Probably around the greenhouse down this path." Goro pointed at a path that led back into the forest.

"Ok got it. I'll see you at dinner time." Kirito voyaged through the vivid forest, observing the various creatures roaming around. Suddenly a rabbit stopped in the middle of the path, staring at him. It didn't look like a normal rabbit, it looked similar to a ragout rabbit but with a fuzzy light brown fur. He slowly approached it, immediately it scurried off and disappeared. He felt a sense of déjà vu, except this time the didn't have a system assistance throwing skill or even anything to throw at it. He continued on the path and saw a small glass building. He sped up his pace and got to the greenhouse, through the glass he could see multiple flower arrangements planted inside. The girls were inside, he could easily spot Asuna among them. He opened the glass door and creeped to the girls, luckily their backs were towards him.

He tiptoed behind Asuna and dropped his hands on her shoulders, startling her. She let out a small shriek and the other pistil turned around, concerned then confused when they saw Kirito. He turned Asuna around, when she realized what happened she blushed and lightly pushed him. "Kirito-kun don't do that!"

He stumbled back a bit and smiled, "Sorry Asuna, I couldn't help it."

Ichigo interrupts, "Ok but what are doing here?"

"Well Zorome and Futoshi were going to tour me around outside the house, but now they're just playing while being scolded by Goro for almost hitting me."

"Don't blame Futoshi about it, sorry about my idiotic partner." apologizes Miku.

Kirito shrugs, "It's fine. So what are you doing?"

"We just got here and I was talking about the stuff that's grown in the greenhouse, but you join us." suggested Kokoro.

"Sure why not." He stood next to Asuna and softly whispered in her ear, "Actually I used to garden a bit when I was still a page at the Sword Craft Academy."

She was slightly surprised, "I didn't know you had a green thumb."

He held her hand, "I do have a magic touch but they never bloomed until the system helped me." She giggled in response. None of the pistils heard her, but Kokoro saw them holding hands. It was kinda odd to her but she didn't question, instead she felt an unknown feeling. Some kind of jealously sparked inside her.

* * *

**25 minutes later, Inside the Main Entrance**

The girls and Kirito returned from their outdoor tour, they could see Hiro and Naomi approaching the house. Ichigo immediately rushed up to them as the rest slowly trailed behind, "So what happened? Is everything ok?" She looked back and forth between the two. Hiro looked emotionless, she could see the sorrow in his eyes. As for Naomi, she had a weak smile on, trying to hide something. Ichigo could easily notice her puffy eyes, revealing her sadness.

"They said there's a chance we might go back to the garden." said Hiro.

"They'll give us an update in two weeks." said Naomi. Ichigo brings them in for a hug as the other pistils followed, leaving Kirito and Asuna. Although the two didn't know what it meant to be sent back to the garden, they felt a bit of remorse for causing their teammates to leave. They finally entered the house, the rest of the boys were in the main entrance. They saw Hiro and Naomi with them, but decided to stay silent and question later. The group entered the mess hall and were greeted by assortments of food on both tables. Kirito and Futoshi were both excited from the sight, but Kirito was kinda disappointed. The boys and girls split to their respective tables.

Asuna wondered why then asked, "Why do we have to sit in separate tables?"

Ikuno responds, "They just wanted to divide us, but they never gave a specific reason why."

"Also don't bother asking them yourself. They won't give an answer at all, the only thing we can do is listen to them and follow their orders." comments Hiro.

Everyone sits down, out of habit Kirito clasped his hands together and closed his eyes a bit. When he opens his eyes, the other boys were actually doing the same thing. He heard Ichigo saying a prayer before they ate. When she finished, everyone then grabbed their utensils. Kirito glanced at her, thinking 'Huh, apparently they have similar customs in this world.' They began eating, the food was scrumptious to Kirito. To Asuna, the quality didn't matter to her, she usually ate this kind of food all the time at her house. It was oddly silent, only the sound of silverware scrapping against the plates could be heard. Kirito wipes his mouth and broke the silence, "Have any of you seen the caretakers here before?"

"We never saw them here at all. Honestly I think they're probably like the caretakers back at the garden." said Goro.

"Asuna and I never saw anyone other than guards, Hachi, Nana, and -I mean Papa." said Kirito. There was a brief silence after his slip up.

"Papa?" questions Zorome.

"Everyone in the garden has seen the caretakers. They've been taking care of us for over 13 years." states Ichigo.

"But we have only been there for a couple hours." comments Asuna.

"That's impossible, we were all born there and they don't assign parasites to Plantations until they're 14." said Ikuno

"Maybe they wiped your memories." said Hiro.

"Why would they do that?" questions Kirito.

"They do that to parasites who act or do something abnormal." said Hiro. He only remembered fragments of what happened to him, the reason why his memory was wiped is unknown.

Kirito looked over at Asuna, wondering "Our relationship...is that considered abnormal?" Everyone finished eating and started to leave the mess hall. Kirito held Asuna back, "If we continue to look like a couple, could our memories be erased?"

Asuna thought about it, she already experienced her memories fading away from using the augma. Confused and clueless about how they bonded in Aincrad, "I hope not, but what are we gonna do?"

"We're constantly being monitored everywhere inside the house. I was barely outside so I don't know if it's safe. Have you seen any cameras outside the house? Like in the forest or around any bodies of water?"

She recalls her voyage around Mistilteinn "No, I don't think so-"

"Then that's where we'll hang out throughout the days here." Relieved, he leaned in to kiss her but then hesitated. He turned to the corner of the room and saw the camera. He backed away from her and the two left the mess hall. All the girls were heading upstairs, Miku shouts from the top "Come on Asuna, it's our bath time now."

"Ok coming." She left Kirito and joined the girls once again. She walked up the stairs, following Ikuno and Ichigo to their shared room. Asuna grabbed her suitcase and started removing the night gown inside. It was a plain white gown that was uniform to Ikuno's and Ichigo's, she asked Ichigo "Are we able to wear something different or unique? Like something more colorful."

"We can't since they don't give us anything else to wear." responds Ichigo.

"Can't we make our own clothing?" questions Asuna.

"No one really taught us how to make clothes from scratch. We can try but they don't provide the proper fabrics either." said Ikuno. Asuna wasn't surprised at all, they have restricted freedom. Just like her before, but the only difference is that they had no escape. She had virtual reality, a way to be someone else unlike the parasites who were born to be prisoners and protect their Plantation until they die. They grabbed their stuff and headed back downstairs, into the bath where Kokoro, Miku, and Naomi were waiting for them. Once they entered Asuna subconsciously undressed herself, placing her clothes in a locker and her shoes in one of the cubbies. She unbraided her chestnut hair, allowing the thick strands to fall on her smooth skin. She slid the door open and entered the bath area. She walked over to the stools and sat down with one of the shower heads in her hand and turned on the water. Thoroughly cleansing herself as the water trickled down to the drain and then she turned off the water. She grabbed a towel and wrapped her hair up together as she headed towards the bath. She eased herself in, the water was warm and soothing, creating a blissful feeling in her. She sighed in result, the other girls joined her relaxed mood. Except for Naomi who was still slightly tensed about earlier.

Asuna decided to cheer her up, "Hey Code 703." Naomi looked at her in response, "We haven't properly introduced each other yet and I'd like to be friends with you. You seem like a kind and smart person, it would be fun to hang out together."

Naomi had a gentle smile on as her sadness slowly faded away, "I'm Naomi."

Asuna smiles, "I'm Asuna, great to finally meet you." The girls started chatting, Asuna zoned out and stared up at the ceiling. She murmurs "I wonder if I could create some kind of escape for them. Perhaps an alternative version of virtual reality."

* * *

**After the boy's bath**

Kirito was first to finish getting dressed, he left the changing room and entrance the main entrance. When he opened the door, he saw Asuna sneaking out of the mess hall. She hasn't heard him yet so he decided to surprise her again "Hey Asuna, what are you doing?"

She jumped a bit and quickly turned to face him, looking slightly nervous then changed to relief. She sighs, "Oh it's only you."

"Yup, so why were you in the mess hall?" questioned Kirito.

"Should we talk outside?"

Kirito looked at the camera, "Nah, I don't think they can can hear us."

She admits "Ok. I was trying to see if I could get some food from the kitchen or pantry, so I could make something for us to eat."

Kirito perked up like a puppy "For a picnic?"

"Exactly." He fantasies about eating Asuna's delicious homemade sandwiches again. The savory meat with lettuce, tomato, and some kind of spicy sauce all wrapped together between two pieces of bread made his mouth water.

He smiled "Ok great, I'll try to find the perfect place tomorrow."

"Then it's a date." She left him and went back upstairs as the rest of the boys exited the changing room.

Zorome overheard the last thing Asuna said, he nudged Kirito and asked "What's a date?"

"I thought it was just like a time on a calendar." said Goro.

"Well you're not wrong, but it's like an event too." said Kirito.

"Like our graduation?" questioned Futoshi.

He faced Futoshi in confusion "When is that?"

"About two weeks or so from now." said Mitsuru.

"And we get our FranXX afterwards too!" announced Zorome.

Hiro mumbles "Probably except for me though..." No one heard him, everyone headed upstairs to their rooms. Goro and Hiro entered their room first and sat on their beds, silently chatting. Kirito decided to start unpacking, he grabbed his suitcase from under the desk and emptied the items inside. He placed his normal uniform, night clothes, and graduation uniform in the cabinet. His underwear and winter uniform remains in his suitcase then grabbed his page and climbed up to his bed. He didn't interfere with their conversation, instead he pondered in his bed with his page in hand, browsing through the schedule and every contact listed. Then started thinking about the garden again and wonder how their actual parents feel right now, if they even have any biological ones considering the fact that they only had caretakers.

"What was the garden like?" said Kirito, curiously looking down at the two.

Goro and Hiro stopped talking. Hiro moved to Goro's bed and looked up at him, wondering if he was actually joking or not. "It's just a facility where we grew up." said Goro, he placed his arm around Hiro "In fact Hiro, Ichigo and I were like siblings, especially Hiro and Ichigo. I always thought it was because of how close their codes were."

"Everyday we take these tests and get candy after every injection. Sometimes not everyone comes back from their tests." added Hiro. He looked down and placed his hand on his forehead, "I vaguely remember them. When I try to think about them, I feel lightheaded but I think they wiped my memory."

"How would you know that?" said Kirito as he sat up in a criss-cross position.

"One time when I saw Mitsuru after I went to the lab, he mentioned some kind of promise. I didn't recall promising anything, actually I didn't feel or remember anything at all, then he quickly got upset." He remembered how Mitsuru looked, utterly devastated, "I guess that's why he's how he is now." He then stared up at Kirito again with a grim face, "Do you think your memories were wiped too?"

Quickly Kirito made up a fake memory, "They may have but all I know is that Asuna and I have only been in the lab for our entire lives. Well actually that and in a solitary room with windows to the outdoors, most likely far away from the rest of you."He chuckled, "For about 10 years, I thought we were the only ones there."

Goro smiled "Well you're not alone anymore, roommate." Although Kirito smiled too, there was hidden sadness in his eyes. "Anyways it's time to go to sleep." Hiro retreated back to his bottom bunk and got under the covers. Goro removed his glasses, placing them aside then laying down in his bed.

Kirito softly said, "Night, roommates." he turned to the wall on his top bunk.

Only Hiro responded, "Night, Kirito."

Kirito closed his eyes, then he heard Goro ask "So why did you call the doctor, Papa?"

He opened his eyes and turned towards Goro "He told us that everyone calls him Papa and I assumed that he's our Papa because he created us. Besides we don't have separate parents, right? " responded Kirito. He was expecting a response but there was only silence. He closed his eyes again, attempting to enter a peaceful slumber, but for some reason it was difficult to sleep. He thought about the lab and what's really happening there. He wanted to know more but decided to wait, this life seemed fine in a way. Until there's an opportunity to learn more, he'd rather be one of them. A parasite born to protect their plantation for their entire lives, but hopefully none of them will die too soon.

* * *

**Updates could be monthly or every 3 weeks, it depends on the episodes it's based off from. For the little fast forward parts, I couldn't think of anything to add so that may change later on or just stay the same. The next chapter might skip to the first episode of Darling in the FranXX. Also if you want, go to my profile and vote for how future chapters will be updated.**


	3. August 16th and 17th

**I'm happy a lot of people are still enjoying Code 000. So I'm a little late because I decided to move the update date to the first day of the month, but I hope the chapter will make up for the little wait. Anyways most of the chapters from now on are based off from the Darling in the FranXX anime events and timeline, minus some extra parts in between. Hiro's thoughts will be in underlined italics.**

**Sadly I don't own anything at all.**

* * *

Chapter 3 **Alone and Lonesome **

High above the rocky wasteland, multiple aircrafts were heading towards a particular Plantation. A certain pink haired passenger on the main aircraft ponders in her seat. "...I wanna take a bath." she whined as she aimlessly stared out the window.

Dr. Franxx slightly turned his head back, "Not again. Show some self control." he remarks.

The pink haired girl sniffed her hand, then turned towards a man to her right. She removed the lollipop in her mouth and asked "Hey. How do I smell?" He didn't respond, he probably couldn't in his condition. He was restricted by multiple casts, some bandages on his head and forced to breathe with an oxygen mask.

"Let him rest. He's drained after the last battle." said Dr. Franxx, she ignored the doctor and placed her lollipop back in her mouth. Despite the amount of treatment her stamen was given, it looked like he won't be able to survive another battle. He scoffs "Sheesh. What a high maintenance girl."

Nana walked out from the door behind them, her heels clack with every step, then sat down in front of the stamen. She looked out the window and viewed the facility below. "Does Plantation 13 have an ocean?"

An odd and unexpected request, Nana questioned "An ocean?"

"I wanna swim in some clear ocean water." said the girl.

Nana responded "I'm sorry to say there's no ocean there. Won't a shower do?"

"I'm in the mood for a swim."

One of the crew announced, "We'll be descending shortly. Please sit down and buckle your seat belts."

"Understood." replied Nana. She turned back at the pink haired girl, "Let's continue this later."

The pink haired girl pulled her glove and licked her wrist, murmuring "I hate how I taste..."

* * *

Hachi announced, "That concludes today's briefing. Code 703, I need you to follow me back to the Admin building." He turned to the rest of the parasites, "I need Code 016 there too. If he shows up, tell him to go there."

"And if not?" asked Goro.

"If not, a search team will be sent out to find him." He walked towards the door, "Code 703, let's go."

"Ok I'm coming." As she slowly approached Hachi, the room quickly became dreary. Everyone in the room knew that tomorrow was the graduation ceremony but it's also Naomi's last day at the Plantation.

Immediately after she left, Ichigo got on her page and texted Hiro. She texted, 'The briefing was over. Contact me. We need to talk.' there was no response.

Asuna whispered to Kirito, "I'm gonna go prepare stuff for our picnic."

Kirito asked, "Do you want some help?"

She smiled, "Thanks but I don't want to get caught on camera sneaking around the pantry together."

He scratched the back of his head, "Oh right, I forgot." He slumped down onto the couch, "Just text me when you're done and I'll sneak out the backyard door."

She walked to the door, "Ok, see you later Kirito-kun~."

"Bye Asuna." He waved to her as she left the room, then laid back in his seat, looking up at the ceiling. He wanted to go out the window instead for some reason but that would have been too odd to be ignored.

Shortly he started dosing off, Zorome and Futoshi made it harder for him to nap. He glanced over at Futoshi who took out some bread and wondered how he obtained some. Thinking maybe he snuck it from breakfast a couple hours ago. Futoshi questioned "Partner Killer?"

Zorome explains, "Apparently, the girl has horns and fangs and any parasite that rides with her will have his blood sucked and will die after the third time without fail!"

Kirito sat up and gained a sudden interest, "She sounds like some kind of demon." He then examined his hand, wondering if a cut would be pixelated blood or actual blood gushing out like in the Underworld.

"Yikes. I don't wanna ride with her." said Futoshi as he munched on his bread.

"Surely that's just a rumor." comments Miku.

Zorome protests, "It's true! Someone actually overheard security talking about it!"

Ikuno decided not to meddle with their conversation, she looked at Ichigo who was still on her page. She typed again, 'Hey, slacker. Where are you right now? Anyway, you'd better show up for the recruit welcoming ceremony tomorrow. Got that? Too bad about Naomi, but you've been told you can stay, so don't act all stubborn.'

Goro walked behind her and asked, "Did you get a hold of Hiro?"

Ichigo sighed as she viewed his profile, "Nope. I tried countless times but not a trace."

Zorome turned to the pair, "Hey...so is he gonna stay after all?"

"But he didn't attend today's briefing. Maybe that means he's gonna turn down the chance?" said Futoshi.

"Hiro's going to leave? That's so sad, he's been our leader since we were little." said Kokoro.

"Well minus me and Asuna, but I kinda feel like us two caused this in a way. From being their replacements." claimed Kirito.

"But if he doesn't, where does that leave Naomi? She got caught up in his mess. I say Hiro is showing real integrity. It must be hard for him to face us after what happened too. Spare a thought for how he feels." stated Mitsuru.

"God, how forced." comments Miku.

"But he's right though, Hiro lost his purpose in life. Any parasite without their perfect partner become useless for Plantation." said Kirito.

Goro asked, "Are you ok with this, Ichigo?

She huffed, "That idiot."

Kirito's page vibrates, he took it out his pocket and flipped it open. Asuna texted him to come outside. He stood up and suggested, "I could try to find him if you want."

"But Hachi said he'll send guards to find him." said Goro.

"Hiro would just avoid them. We look less threatening so if he sees one of us, he might follow me back here." said Kirito.

"That's true, what do you say, Ichigo?" asked Goro.

She sighed, "I guess you have a better chance. Ok, go try to find him."

Kirito grinned, "Ok, I'll be back soon." He rushed out the room and crept down the stairs. Asuna already left through the front door, so he went around and left through the back doorway. He walked casually into the forest and wandered around to find Asuna. He brought out his page again, she texted him to go to the greenhouse. He started walking towards to greenhouse, as he approached the greenhouse. He saw a guard patrolling around it, luckily Asuna didn't seem like she was inside. He crouched down behind a bush and whispered, "Where is she?"

Suddenly something grabbed his shoulder, he jumped and grabbed their arm. He quickly picked up a nearby stick with his spare hand and turned around. In a hushed tone they said, "Wait Kirito it's me!"

Right as he was about to hit them, he dropped the stick when he saw Asuna's surprised face. "Oops, sorry Asuna. I thought you were a guard." He loosened his grip on her arm and moved his hand down to hold hers.

She apologized, "No, I'm sorry that I surprised you. Anyways where's this picnic spot you found?"

"Oh right, just follow me." The two slowly crept away from the guard and concealed themselves in the thick forest. Hand in hand they trekked through the forest, Kirito noticed the basket Asuna was holding. He asked, "Where did you find a picnic basket?"

"Well after I found where the pantry and kitchen were, I tried to find a container for all this stuff. I couldn't find the perfect one until I went inside the other restricted room. There were a bunch of other stuff inside, including this nice little basket." They soon arrived at their picnic spot, it was a little grass patch near one of the lakes and surrounded by countless vegetation.

"And we're here." announced Kirito. Asuna removed a blanket from the basket and laid it out on the grass. The two sat down a set up their picnic, "This place is somewhat hidden here so I don't think those guards will find us."

Asuna looked around and saw some fallen tree trunks near the water. She remembers something and took out a thermos with two glass cups, "Luckily I found something to hold the tea, but I couldn't find any other glasses."

"You actually made some tea too?" said Kirito who was surprised of how much there was in the kitchen.

"Yeah, it's gonna be great with some cookies and these sandwiches." She opened the bag and took out one of the sandwiches, "Yours is spicy as always."

He grabbed it from her hand and unwrapped it. He took a bite and his face immediately lit up, his eyes looked like they were sparkling too. He gulped and compliments her, "This is fantastic Asuna! Your cooking is great in every VR we enter."

She giggled, "Thanks Kirito-kun~. So what did I miss while I was preparing all this stuff?"

"Well Zorome or someone overheard security talking about this pistil that's arriving today."

"Could she be Hiro's new partner?" she bit down on her own mild sandwich.

"Probably not. Unless if he's permitted to ride with a pistil who has horns and fangs for only 2 times." he took another couple bites.

She choked a bit then quickly sipped some tea. Such features would have been normal in other VRMMOs, but they've never seen anyone or anything like that here. "Horns and fangs? She sounds like some kind of enemy or demon. Also why is there a limit?"

He gulps, "That's what I said about her. Zorome said that when someone rides with her for three times, they're guaranteed to die on the third ride. Which gives her the nickname 'Partner Killer'."

"Meaning she's a potential threat or could be a valuable asset." she took another sip.

He snickers, "Already thinking like a Vice Commander, maybe you should take Hachi's job too."

"Thanks but it wouldn't make any difference. We're still fighting those Klaxosaurs and I'd rather be on the front lines."

He finished his first sandwich and licked his fingers "Oh I forgot to mention that we're supposed to search for Hiro."

"But didn't Hachi say that he'll send out a search party?"

He laid down on the blanket, looking up at Asuna "True but it was my little excuse for Ichigo so I could leave the room."

"You could have just left, but" she moved a bit closer to Kirito, "I'm guessing that you actually wanted to help find him." He sits up and nods, "Ok we could go search around in 15 minutes or so."

"Great but for now, let's just enjoy this time alone." He leaned towards her and kissed her cheek, causing her face to turn a shade of pink, "I've been waiting for awhile to do that."

"Me too" she responded with another kiss on his lips.

* * *

**13 minutes later**

The two were laying down on the blanket, admiring the forest and each other's company. Suddenly a fog started forming around the water, Asuna sat up and nudged Kirito who was slowly about to fall asleep. "Kirito-kun"

He groaned, "What is it? We still have... "he checked his page, "another 2 minutes left."

"Well this fog might make searching around this area a bit more difficult." informed Asuna.

He stood up and looked around the lake, it was difficult to see the other side. "Yeah, let's pack up and start searching." Asuna wipes the cups and grabbed the thermos, placing both of them inside the basket with the remaining cookies. She got off the blanket as Kirito picks up the blanket and starts shaking off the crumbs. He folded it and places it on the basket. As they walked away from the water, there was a big splash sound coming from behind.

Asuna turns around, "What was that?" she walked back to their picnic spot, Kirito quickly followed behind her. The water ripples on one side of the lake, where a lone fallen tree trunk laid with clothing on top of it. "I think someone is swimming here."

Kirito observes the water, "Is it Hiro?"

"I'm not sure, no one popped out the water yet." She tried to get a better look at their clothing, "Their clothes don't look like ours, it's more red than gray." As she looked around, someone's poked their head out the water, the two caught a slight glimpse of red and pink before it submerged back underwater.

Then something started rapidly swimming towards them, Asuna leaned closer to the water. Kirito pulled her hand, "Asuna, get away from the water." A feminine figure swam by, she slowed her paced as she got closer to Asuna. Kirito looked at her, she had long pink hair with small red horns poking out on top. Her eyes locked onto his, he mumbled, "The Partner Killer..."

Asuna faced towards him, loudly whispering "She's the Partner Killer!?"

He shrugged, "She matches the description Zorome said earlier and she's not a parasite or anything like Hachi and Nana."

She backed away from the water and turned to the forest, "Ok then, we shouldn't get involved with her then. Let's go find Hiro."

"But isn't that him right there." He points towards the fallen tree trunk where the Partner Killer's clothes are.

Asuna turned and saw Hiro looking at the Partner Killer as she dived down underwater. "Should we go get him?"

Kirito pulled her behind a tree, "Let's wait, I wanna see what she'll do to him."

"What if she attacks him?"

"Then we'll rush in."

Suddenly Hiro ran into the water, until she jumped up in front of him with a fish in her mouth. Asuna covered Kirito's eyes, "Asuna, why are you covering my eyes?"

"Oh, so I'm not bothered by the fact that you're looking at a naked demon girl."

He turned away from them, "Got it." She removes her hand, "Just tell me what's happening."

"Well it looks like they're just talking. Now she's pointing at him. Hiro quickly turned away from her and is now giving her something which made her laugh."

He sat down against the tree, "Doesn't sound so bad."

"Ok now she getting dressed so you can look in a bit."

He got up and turned back towards Hiro, he was sitting down and throwing a rock at the water as the girl behind him placed something white on her head. Then she grabbed Hiro, her face looked like it touched his cheek. She pushed him down and landed on top of him, "Should we interfere?"

Asuna shook her head, "No, it looks like she just kissed him."

"But I thought none of them knew about kissing and stuff that we do."

The girl stood up and looked down at him with her hand stretched out to grab Hiro's. He sat up and reached out to grab hers but she turned around and was greeted by a bunch of guards with an injured man.

A pair of guards approached the two, "I think we should go now." whispered Kirito.

They quickly ducked down behind the bushes. Luckily both guards walked pass them, Kirito heard one say, "Code 016 spotted."

As they continued pursuing Hiro, Asuna and Kirito swiftly snuck away from them and walked back to the house. Asuna pouts "I wish we had more time for our picnic."

"Maybe we'll be lucky next week." reassured Kirito.

"I hope so. Also when we get back, I'm gonna return the thermos and cups. Could you stow away the basket in the other restricted room?"

"Got it and how about we take a scenic route back." suggested Kirito.

She smiles, "Sounds great." About roughly 13 minutes later they arrived at the boarding house. Asuna walked in through the front door as Kirito looped around and entered through the back door. He walked down the hall to the farthest restricted room and carefully opened the door. He stretched his arm and eased the basket through the tapes, placing it gently on the desk. The door softly creaked as it closed. Kirito ignored the camera and made his way back towards the stairs as Asuna headed up to the stamen living room. She opened the doors, "Sorry Ichigo, we weren't able to find Hiro."

Ichigo closed her page and approached her with a confused look, "We? I thought Kirito was the one looking for him."

Kirito quickly rushes into the room, "I saw Asuna outside and asked her to help me look around, but still no luck."

Ichigo sighs "Oh, that's ok. Thanks for trying though."

A ball was shortly thrown to Kirito, "Hey Kirito! Do you wanna go play outside with Futoshi and I?" said Zorome.

He grinned, "Yeah sure. Race you outside!" Asuna quickly moved from the door as Kirito dashed past her.

Zorome quickly rose from his seat and followed Kirito with Futoshi trying to catch up. "No fair! You got a head start!" shouted Zorome.

"Kirito! Wait for us!" shouted Futoshi.

"Geez. Does everything have to be a competition to them?" said Miku.

Asuna mumbled "I'm glad he's having fun with some guy friends." She then left the room and headed back to her shared room.

Ichigo carefully watched her as she left. She walked back to Goro and whispered, "Do you notice it too?"

"How long it took for them to get back or often they spend time alone?"

"Both actually." She opened her page to an alert Hachi sent over 15 minutes ago, 'Hiro found'. "What do you think they're doing?"

"Kirito did mention something called a date before. Maybe it's something more than what he said."

"A date? Hmm...I wonder..."

* * *

**August 17th**

"Geez Kirito. How long are you gonna nap?"

The voice was faint but sounded familiar. Kirito barely opened his eyes and saw a glimpse of blond hair, then he turned away, "Give me a couple more minutes, Eugeo."

"Eugeo? Anyways we have to get ready, it's our graduation ceremony today."

"But we already graduated and became elites at the Academy."

Another voice spoke, "What academy? Goro is talking about the one for the new FranXX pilots. Also who's Eugeo?"

Kirito's eyes widen, he turned around to face Goro in his formal uniform and Hiro who sat casually on Goro's bed instead of changing his uniform. "Oh it's nothing, just some weird dream."

"Ok? I guess." said Goro. He walked into the hallway and faced the room, "Go get dressed, we're leaving in less than 40 minutes. You too, Hiro. It would be great if you would attend the ceremony with the rest of us." Goro took a quick glance at Kirito before closing the door and headed towards their living room.

Kirito climbed out of his bed and opened the cabinet. "Hey Hiro, are you gonna skip the ceremony?"

"Naomi isn't going, so I'm gonna be with her when she leaves."

Kirito unzipped his uniform and put on the formal uniform, "So you can leave us too?"

"I'm pretty much dead without a partner."

Kirito grabs his hat and closes the cabinet, "So you would rather die alone and be forgotten." He puts on his hat, "Almost sounds like something I would have done before, but I didn't. I wasn't selfish, I had to stay alive for the people that cared about me." He remembers the leader of his first guild and how he plummet into the abyssal sky until he became shards of data. He turned away from Hiro, "You weren't ready yet. Soon you'll find a new partner that's like you. Alone and lonesome, like that pink haired girl at the lake. No offense."

Hiro was utterly shocked and stared wide eyed at Kirito, "You were there?"

"Asuna and I were trying to find you yesterday after the briefing. We searched because we care about you, all of us do. You can't abandon your friends just because you think that you're useless."

Kirito opened the door, Hiro asked "What's a kiss?"

Kirito turned around and faced him with a confused look "How do you what that is and why ask me?"

"That girl from before briefly mentioned it to me after she licked my cheek. Also you mumbled something about it in your sleep, so I thought you would know more about it."

He crossed his arms "Hmm...well it's something special that you do with someone you love. However they have to love you the same way too."

"Like to your darling?"

"Yeah, only them, no one else." Kirito left the room, leaving Hiro lost in his thoughts.

_Has Kirito experienced a kiss before?_

* * *

**Graduation Ceremony**

Squad 13, minus Hiro and Naomi, walked across the huge metal platform and spread out side by side on a red strip down the middle. Each pair wore a small red and white striped band, stamen had their left pinkie tied with their partner's right pinkie. Slowly a big section of the colossal dome split open, revealing an amphitheater packed with a mass amount of uniform adult spectators. From what they can see, there was a group of 7 in the center with one in a higher position than the others. Kirito looked up at the one on top, assuming that's who the parasites call 'Papa'. To his left, he heard Zorome whispering to Futoshi.

"Look at all those adults."

Futoshi was barely loud enough to hear, "Yeah, they're all here to see us."

Kirito's hat started slipping off, he tilts his head down to prevent it from falling. He sighs and mumbles, "Why do we have to wear these hats? These cloaks are just fine by themselves "

Asuna rolled her eyes and whispered, "There's just a little speech first and after the ceremony you can remove it. " She held his hand, "You survived and cleared the floating castle, I'm sure you can endure a falling hat."

Papa announces "My children, you have had the great fortune to be chosen as parasites. Your great predecessors defended our cities and our people, and they splendidly took flight as our representatives. Turn your life into a blaze of glory and shed every last drop of blood you have. I pray that you will become a shining ray of hope for humanity." The adults cheered and clapped for their new protectors.

Ichigo stared at the sky, thinking about Hiro. "Ichigo." said Goro. She immediately looked up at his stern face, "Focus on the ceremony. Papa is watching, and so is everyone else."

She turned back towards Papa, "Right."

* * *

**Admin Building**

"That's all the official instructions for your return to the orphanage." stated Hachi. He asked Hiro, "Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

With a solemn expression, the refined stamen replied "Nothing, really."

"Code 016, HQ has given you special permission to remain here. Are you certain you don't want to stay?"

Without hesitation, he replies "I am."

"Is that so? Understood." Hiro stood up from his chair and left the room. As he walked out, he heard a particular pistil sobbing nearby. He glanced at her, she sat on a lone bench, bent over with her hands covering her pale face. The longer he stared at her, the more he recalls the reason why they're in this situation

_*Flashback Starts*_

_An automated voice spoke, "Positive pulse and P-Factor dropping. Timed out. Commencing stage six linking." He remembers the pain and frustration within that metal pod._

_"Measuring ability score. Negative pulse detected. Positive pulse on standby." Heavily breathing as they attempt to connect countless times..._

_"Three, two, one..."_

_but all failed..._

_"Timed out." The pod slowly opened, their squadron froze, especially Ichigo. Wide eyed and devastated, tears started forming in her eyes._

_Another voice spoke, "Code 703 and Code 016..."_

_As for himself and Naomi, salty tears have already started streaming down their faces._

_"You failed."_

_*Flashback Ends*_

* * *

**In the Pistil's changing room**

When Asuna entered the locker room, she looked around, it was smaller than the one in the Garden. There were only numbered 10 lockers, plus 12 smaller ones on the wall separating them from the barrier. Ikuno claimed locker 1, Kokoro claimed locker 10, Miku claimed locker 8, and Ichigo claimed locker 6. Asuna decided to use locker 3. Inside the locker were the same special garments and immediately she started to undress. Miku and Kokoro have already finished and passed through the barrier.

"What do you think our FranXX will look like?" questions Miku as she entered the machine. It whirred up, the laser moved from her feet to her neck as a white and pink pilot suit appears on her skin. Kokoro follows in the machine next to her.

"From what I know, they're not like the FranXX other squads have. Ours have different colors and different equipment." said Ikuno as she entered one the machines.

Asuna closed her locker and passed through the force field, "So that means our squad is unique and our superiors have already assigned our roles for combat."

Miku walked out the machine, facing Asuna in slight awe "You sound like you've already done something like this before."

Ichigo walked up in front of her and crossed her arms, "Are you sure you haven't already operated a FranXX?"

Asuna nervously waved her hand, "I don't think so. Besides I've never seen one in person."

Ichigo backed away and entered the machine, "Or maybe your memory was altered instead."

Asuna followed her and entered a different machine. She raised her hand onto her head, rubbing it before she moved her hand back to her side. "Maybe."

Her memories have been tampered before, months ago during the Ordinal Scale incident, the only time she had to enter the same medicuboid that Yuuki died in. Being struck by that same fatal slash again was traumatic enough but the memories within Aincrad slowly fading away was agonizing. Especially the moments with Kirito. Being aware that Dr. Franxx could do the same here was insanely unnerving. Once the machine finished, Asuna stepped out and faced Ichigo. Her pilot suit was white like hers but with a blue secondary color that matched her hair. She looked down at herself, kinda surprised that her suit has changed colors. Ichigo looked at Asuna, the primary color of her suit was the same as hers and the secondary color was black.

"The black and white looks nice." commented Ichigo.

Asuna smiled, "Thanks." She walked towards the door, "Come on, let's go. The boys are probably waiting for us." All the girls headed out the locker room and headed down the hall where the boys awaits them. The walk was surprisingly short, the boys were lounging around a station where a monorail was waiting for them. The stamen suits were identical, except for the different colors on their chest plates, each color corresponds to their partner. The group entered the monorail in silence, the doors immediately shut and began heading towards the FranXX hangars.

* * *

"You should've stayed, Hiro."

Outside the Plantation, waiting for a transport pod was Hiro with a guard behind him. A few meters away stood Naomi and her suitcase in hand. The distant rumbling of the transport pods slowly felt closer.

She asked, "Did you refuse because of me?"

"No. It's not like I'd be any use even if I stayed." He's all too aware that a flightless bird has nowhere to go.

"You've always been like that. You're just running away." She tightened her grip on her suitcase "From your partner, and from yourself." He stayed silent.

"You remember how many of our friends disappeared from the orphanage, right?" He turned his head towards her. "There's no telling when we could end up just like them. She dropped her suitcase, causing a loud thud "So don't try to play the hero!"

Hiro turns his whole body towards her, "Who cares if it's favoritism? You're lucky you have a chance to stay here at all!" She covers her face, sobbing as she speaks "We've made it so far!" Her voice slowly cracks, "I would definitely stayed even if it killed me!"

The guard tried to interfere "Quit your chatter."

Hiro looked at her, slightly shocked "Naomi..."

"Why..." She couldn't bear with it anymore, "Why did you have to be my partner?" She knelt on the metal floor as tears overflow in her hands.

* * *

Asuna and Kirito sat down, excluding themselves from the rest of the group. Kirito leans back against the seat and examines the monorail. Although the monorail's system technology was upgraded, it looks older compared to everything else in the Plantation, like something from their reality. He then gazes at Asuna, she was trying to lean back but the monitor on her shoulders made it more difficult. She noticed him staring and he quietly giggled. She quietly asked, "What's so funny?"

"It's nothing." He sighed then asked, "Are codes are kind of ironic, don't you think so?"

"In what way?"

"It's another play on numbers. Mine is 096, 9 can be ku, 6 can be ro. Meaning I'm Code Kuro."

She giggles, "Perfect for the Black Swordsman."

"Then there's yours, 046. 4 is shi, 6 can be ro. So you're Code Shiro."

She attempts to lay her head on his shoulder, "Well I guess I'm Shiro then, Kuro-kun~."

"Hiro never showed, huh?" said Futoshi.

"Forget the crybaby." said Zorome. Kirito sat up and tuned into their conversation.

"Right to the very end we could never tell what was going through his head." said Miku.

"I hope they both get back safe and sound." said Kokoro.

"Their ship probably isn't headed back to the Garden. I've never even heard of any parasites coming back home." informed Ikuno.

Kirito sighs and mumbled, "So you don't care about us then, Hiro." Ichigo slightly turned away until suddenly the monorail stopped, the door slid open with Hachi standing behind it.

He asked the group, "Are you ready?"

Everyone replies, "Yes, sir!"

* * *

Naomi managed to stopped crying before transport pod arrived. The doors slid open, revealing an elevator that's waiting for Naomi to enter. She slowly walked over to the pod, then turned around to face Hiro one last time.

"Well, take care, Hiro. I don't think we'll ever see each other again." Hiro staggered in response. "I'm done now, but you still have a chance." A red light shined as a the pod rings. "You don't have to factor me into your decisions."

Suddenly Hiro attempts to run towards Naomi, "Wait a second, Naomi!" She swing around her bag and threw it at Hiro, causing him to fall back. He looks up at her and questioned her action, "What are you doing?"

She responds, "I don't need those things anymore. Share them with everyone."

"Wait!"

"You know, I really like this name you gave me." She starts to tear up again, "Hiro, I hope you find a good partner." The metal doors shut, immediately Hiro gets up and tries to get to the pod.

"Naomi..."

The guard restrained him, "Don't! You can take the next plant and still make it!" He struggles but quickly gives up.

The pod released a huge amount of gas as a siren blared, "Naomi..."

* * *

Papa announced, "We will hereby begin the startup ritual." Everyone eagerly starts getting in position. "With this you kids will finally become official parasites." Kirito casually sat down on his seat while Asuna hesitates before slowly crawling into her platform. As her limbs lock in place, a slight chill went down her spine and her face started to turn a shade of pink.

"Hey Asuna?"

She slightly jumped from hearing his voice, she tried to turn her head back, "What is it Kirito-kun?"

He reassures her "It's just us here, ok? You have nothing to be worried about, just breathe and relax, ok?"

She listened and took a deep breath and suddenly felt at ease. "Yeah, piloting a FranXX is simple. Klaxosaurs could be easier than floor bosses." Her helmet extends and partially covers her eyes. The metal door starts rising up but suddenly stops.

Goro looked around his pod, he mumbles "What's going on?"

"This is bad. The fog is rolling in." said Dr. Franxx.

Asuna asked, "Could there be a glitch in the system."

Kirito got up from his seat and manually opened the door. The door stopped right below the pod, he looked down as dust clouds entered the garage, "Or it's some kind of dusty fog."

"Something like this doesn't just happen though."

"Unless if a Klaxosaur is coming."

* * *

Naomi's transfer pod rolls away from the Plantation as another transport pod soon replaced it. Hiro grasps Naomi's suitcase in his right hand and walked towards the entrance while the guard closely followed him. An identical pair of metal doors slid open, waiting for Hiro to enter. He paused the moment they opened, looking down at the catwalk before him.

"What's the matter? Get in already." ordered the guard. Hiro lifts his foot but hesitates to take a step forward.

He made his mind and turn towards the guard, "Uh, I think I'll-" He was cut off by a sudden rumbling near the transport pods, especially the one containing Naomi. "Those things weren't there before." Something black and blue emerged from the ground in front of Naomi's transport pod. Massive chunks of earth along with the transport pod were scooped up from the ground until gravity pulled them back down. The pod tumbled to the surface as the rocks piles on top, leaving the debris concealed by dust and dirt. Hiro rushes towards the railing and shouted out at the destruction "Naomi!" The creature stepped out of the dust cloud and released a piercing screech. It started to approach the Plantation, Hiro could only watch in fear and confusion as it got closer.

The guard yelled out a command, "It's a Klaxosaur! Ready intercepting fire!"

Hiro gasps, "So that's a Klaxosaur?" Cannons popped out from the dome and quickly fired at the Klaxosaur. Luckily they managed hit its leg, causing it to stumble and slide underneath Hiro until making contact with the dome. Its tail swung up, taking out all the cannons and flipped over the platform. Hiro desperately held onto the rails as the platform fell against the dome and flung him onto the metal floor. The suitcase flew out his hand as he slid across the floor. Shots were still being fired at the Klaxosaur, angering it as it fled towards the amphitheater.

"Wait, that's where..." He realized where it's heading, "Damn it!" Hiro quickly got up and started running where the rest of his squad was. The klaxosaur easily surpassed him and left a thick trail of dust but within the dust was another creature. A glimpse of white and red with neon orange eyes quickly followed behind. "Another klaxosaur?!"

There was a commotion back at the amphitheater. Guards were dispatched around the area, trying to figure out what caused the sudden fog until a familiar black and blue entity walked towards them. One guard alerted, "Klaxosaur!" The garage doors started to close.

Another shouted, "Run away! Take shelter!"

Nana and Dr. Franxx watched it come into view. Nana slowly backed away as Dr. Franxx casually observed the specimen, "A moho-class, huh? It's big, strong, and has a fine look."

Nana glares at him, "This is no time for casual commentary! Prepare to evacuate!" She turned the Plantation and ordered, "Hurry up and retrieve the parasites!"

Asuna got up from her platform and stood next to Kirito as the garage door moved down. They saw a flash of black and blue appear and passed by them but stopped in front of the garage to their left, the one that contains Ichigo and Goro's FranXX. Asuna raises her hands over her mouth "Oh no..."

Ichigo removes her hands from the platform and looks through the pod door. Goro questions, "What's happening?" Suddenly something huge rammed against their garage door and pried the door open.

An automated voice alerts, "Garage 2 damaged. Unfit for housing Delphinium." A neon blue, hexagonal mouth opened, charging up while releasing a bright light. Ichigo quickly moved back, she was terrified, tears started forming in the corner of her eyes. The light quickly disappeared, the Klaxosaur was tackled aside by an unexpected white and red creature. Both flew and fell on the ground, forming another dust cloud and within, the two creatures clashed. The smaller white one bit it's head and ripped out some parts as the colossal back one attempts to shake it off.

"A stampede, now?" said Nana.

"What an ugly sight. Did she devour her stamen again?" asked Papa.

One member behind him comments, "It's hard to tell which is the real monster here."

The white creature tears off another chunk of the Klaxosaur, it responds by charging up an attack in its mouth as its tail splits open and parts of it began rotating. The white creature leaps off the Klaxosaur's back and lands in front of the garages. Hiro finally arrived at the scene, "Guys!" He looked around and stared in shock as the two assumed Klaxosaurs were ready to attack each other, "What the hell?" A blinding light shines from the dark Klaxosaur and it released a ball of energy at the white one. The white one lifted its tail and attempted to prevent the attack from hitting the dome. The blue energy disappeared and caused multiple explosions across the dome's surface. The white creature was knocked off its feet and flew through the air, headed towards Hiro's direction. Hiro screams as he tries to get out of the way. The creature collided with the dome and the Klaxosaur powers down. The dust clears, Hiro somehow managed to avoid the fallen debris with the white creature. He rubbed his head, "Ow...What was that?" Suddenly the man from before collapsed onto the metal floor, in a Stamen pilot suit and covered with his own blood. "Huh? H-Hey..." Hiro stutters as he crawls towards him and tries to sit him up.

"Forget about him. He's done for." said a voice coming out of the cockpit.

Hiro looks up at her, it was the pink haired girl from the lake but she was wearing a Pistil pilot suit. "You're..." She leaned against the side of the door as he gently laid the deceased stamen down. Then he stood and asked, "What are you doing in there?"

"What, you ask? I'm going monster hunting, of course."

"You're going to pilot this robot alone?"

"I gotta go." She got up and struggled to move down.

"W-Wait a second!" Hiro quickly grabbed her "You can't! You're hurt!"

"Out of my way!" She smacked him away, leaving a blood mark on his cheek and continued to crawl towards the pistil platform. He stumbled back but managed to keep standing, he kept trying to reason with her. "This is insanity. Besides you're by yourself now. FranXX can't be piloted alone."

"I'm always alone. That's how it's always been. I'm used to it." she stated.

He pleaded, "No! You'll die!" He was genuinely concerned about her, he didn't want to see another person leave to die again.

She paused then slightly turned her head and informed him, "I'm not afraid of death. That thing's going to start moving again eventually and when it does, everyone here is going to die either way." She repeated herself again in the same tone, "I'm not afraid of death. I have a job to do. I'm going." She limped away from him. He blankly stared at her, he knew he can't do anything to stop her.

_I'm powerless. Right now, I can't help my friends or fight a klaxosaur. _He recalls the failed paracapacity test.

_That's what I thought._

Then he remembers how he felt back when he first met her.

_But as I stared at the girl in front of me, the words that escaped my lips were, for some reason..._

He clenched his fist and told her "Wait. I'll pilot that robot with you. I'm not about to let you go alone."

She paused in place and asked him, "Oh? Are you prepared to die?"

"I don't know." He lifts his right hand and grabbed the symbol on his heart. "But as I am now, I don't belong anywhere. That's no different from being dead." He lifted his head to look her in the eyes and pleaded, "So take me with you!" Tears starting forming in his eyes.

The girl was leaning towards him with her head hanging down to look at him. She grins as she spoke "Huh...You really are just like me. You and I are very similar." She looked deep into his eyes, "It's been a long time since I last saw a human cry." She moves her hand to remove a tear from his face, "I like the look in your eyes. It makes my heart race." She rubs the tear and extends her hand to him. "Now come to me." He reached out his hand and finally grabbed hers. She pulled him into the pod, it felt like time slowed down as he flew in. "Let me get a taste of you. You are now..." She lit up with excitement with a big grin on her face.

"My darling!" She pulled his face closer to hers and tilted her head as her lips touched his. Hiro was speechless, he felt a spark as his body froze but also melted in her arms. Suddenly the pod filled with a bright white lights with red alerts saying "Connected"

"Strelizia Activated"

* * *

Everyone gathered outside and watched the motionless klaxosaur, but suddenly it returned back to its normal state. It got on its hind legs and slammed its entire body back on the ground, ready to strike once more. "It's back!" shouted Futoshi.

"It's moving again!" said Zorome. The klaxosaur began charging towards the dome, aiming for the FranXX. The bottom of its jaw collided with the FranXX as its face penetrated the dome. The rubble fell down near the group, everyone except Dr. Franxx and Hachi tried to block any rubble falling around them. Zorome fell on the ground while trying to back away.

Goro raised his arm to block anything from hitting Ichigo. He asked "W-Was it eaten?"

Dr. Franxx responded, "No." A bright orange light shone from the FranXX, "That's..." The klaxosaur was lifted off the ground from some powerful force. It looked like the FranXX simply bit it until the robot transformed, its limbs changed from a lion's to a person's. The FranXX's new metallic hands grabbed the klaxosaur's head and threw it's entire body away from the plantation. "When the negative and positive or male and female factors combine..." everyone faced him as he spoke, "and their hearts become one, the iron maiden will reveal her true form." The FranXX completed its full transformation, a face appeared along with a lance attached to the FranXX's back. Dr. Franxx approached the glorious machinery and raised his hands in the air, "Now_ this _is a FranXX! How truly beautiful! You're the best, Strelizia!"

Nana couldn't help but wonder, "But who's piloting it?"

Kirito crossed his arms and smirked at the sight, "Nice job, Hiro."

In the distance, the klaxosaur began charging up the same attack from before. The FranXX made her move and threw her lance directly at its mouth and prevented the attack. At the end of the metal skirt, rockets activated and the Franxx rapidly flew towards the klaxosaur and jammed the lance farther into its mouth. Some magma flowed through to the lance. "Game over." The FranXX pressed down on a button, releasing the liquid inside the klaxosaur and caused an explosion from within. As a result, a whole cloud of blue goo spout out the slain klaxosaur and rained all over. The group could only watch the event conclude in awe.

The FranXX stood still, fully drenched with the blue goo. "That's a FranXX, the kind of robot we'll pilot." said Kokoro.

A clean up crew quickly arrived and dealt with the remains of the klaxosaur, the FranXX headed back to the Plantation and powered down before the group.

_I don't know why, but the warm touch of her lips made my heart race._

_Other than that, I remember nothing about what happened in the cockpit back then._

Everyone looked up to see the pilots exit the cockpit. There was a pink haired girl with the stamen leaning unconsciously on her. As they got into view, everyone easily recognized the stamen with her. Practically everyone's jaws dropped when they saw him.

Ichigo gasped, "Hiro?!"

Zorome questions, "What's he doing there?"

"Wait, there's someone else. Are those..." said Goro

Miku finished his sentence, "...horns?" The pistil dropped Hiro on the FranXX's metal face and stood up tall while looking down at them.

Futoshi asked, "You mean that pistil is the one?"

"The Partner Killer." said Ichigo.

Nana steps forward, " Let me introduce you." The squad looks over at her. " This is Code number 002, a pistil with the special forces unit APE directly controls. She's a girl that carries klaxosaur blood."

Asuna mumbles, "So she's literally a demon." Zero Two licks the blood on her hand and looked down at Hiro.

_But having taken this step of my own free will, I felt like I might be able to fly again._

She hasn't felt like this in a while, with a smile she proudly says "Found you, my darling."

* * *

**FINALLY DONE WITH AN EPISODE CHAPTER! I'm so happy and relieved that was over, n****ow I can finally enjoy my birthday weekend.**** But I'll do more for everyone that has read and supported this fanfic. I hope this chapter was worth the wait (I'm not sure if Ichigo was the one who said The Partner Killer). Apparently when I had to watch this episode over 10 times and look through the other important episodes, I realized that I have to fix Chapter 2 now. Also about a week from now (or later on), Chapter 2 will be fixed so future episodes/chapters actually follow the anime story line. **


	4. Chapter Update

So for those who are waiting for another chapter of Code 000: The FranXX of Black and White, I'm still continuing the story since it's long from being done. However, my schedule has changed drastically so I haven't had time to type up another chapter. So either because of current events/situations, I could try to update sometime on Sunday or I'm going to settle on my new plan for updating which is every summer. Thank you for reading my story and sorry for the long waits, I hope this helps with any questions for updates.

If you still have questions, feel free to private message me or leave a review on this update. Hope ya'll are healthy and happy at home:)


	5. August 17th-20th

**I love the reviews you and others have submitted, they really help, especially ones giving me little ideas on how to add the two to the story. Eventually, I guarantee to all of you that something grand will happen, just have patience, please. Really not kidding. Also Gadget Boy or whoever you are, it'll take a while until they call each other Kuro and Shiro. I also realized I made a mistake with the house layout which I honestly might not fix but I'm changing the first floor where 2 of the 4 restricted rooms are actually where the kitchen and pantry. Also, I'm still gonna call the upstairs lounge the stamen living room but I might forget so assume that I'm talking about the upstairs lounge.**

**Also sorry for taking so long for a new chapter, the pressure and workload were starting to kill me. But I hope you enjoy this slightly longer chapter.**

**I don't own anything.**

_**Underlined Italics are Hiro's thoughts**_

* * *

Chapter 4** What It Means To Connect**

Hiro slowly woke up, his limbs felt heavy but he managed to rub his eyes. He heard a voice across the room, "Look he's awake."

Another voice said "Hiro!" Hiro sat up and looked around his surroundings, he was in the infirmary with Goro and Nana talking across the room and Ichigo quickly walking towards him. Before he could speak, she wrapped her arms around him. "Finally you're awake." she was relieved he was fine, she pulled away as Goro walked up behind her.

Hiro looked between all three of them and asked, "What happened? Is the klaxosaur gone?"

Both Goro and Ichigo stared at him in confusion. Goro informed him "That white and red FranXX from before eliminated the klaxosaur and you were one of the pilots."

Nana walked up with a tablet in hand, "Piloting Strelizia with her is dangerous, but luckily you only had minor injuries. Anyways you have been authorized to stay here with the rest of your squad. Tomorrow the startup ritual will resume and since you don't have a partner, you have to stand aside with me and the Doctor."

Hiro got up from the bed with Goro"s help, "Okay, got it."

Ichigo opened the door, "Now come on, let's go eat dinner." They walked across the room and entered the dining hall, which was oddly lively. Everyone was talking about today, either about their FranXX or about the Klaxosaur attack. Asuna and Kirito were on their pages, texting each other since they couldn't sit together. They conversed about Hiro mostly, especially about the questions he asked Kirito before. Asuna was a bit curious, she wanted to know more.

After dinner, everyone dispersed to their rooms except Hiro. He decided to step outside. Asuna saw him exit the house and followed him outside. He was sitting down on the porch looking at the path in front of him. Asuna knocked on the outside of the door, causing him to turn around. "Mind if I sit down?"

He scoots over a bit, "Sure, it's fine." She sat down beside him, then he suddenly remembered something that happened earlier. He gently touched his lips, "A kiss..."

She turned to him with a curious stare, "Hmm?"

"That's the only thing I remember from earlier." He turned to face her, "Have your lips touched Kirito's before?"

Asuna was unfazed from his question, "You mean if I have kissed him before?" He nods, "Yeah, I have multiple times. Why do you ask?"

"When she pulled me into the cockpit, she said I was now her darling and then she kissed me. I think afterward I started piloting her FranXX. Some of the others don't believe that I killed that klaxosaur." He hesitates before asking, "Do you believe me?"

She smiles, "Of course. Having your first kiss with the right person can easily form a strong relationship with them. FranXX are powered from the bond between two people, that act of love helped you easily pilot that FranXX." Her tone changed and became softer, "For me, Kirito is my darling, we give each other strength. Thanks to her, you were able to pilot. I'm happy that you found your darling." Her soft expression changed to a look of concern. Hiro could only stare at her in awe, her voice was captivating. She was still talking until she started waving her hand in his face while repeatedly calling out his name, "Hey Hiro." Then she started shaking him, "Hiro!"

He shook his head, "Huh, sorry. What were you saying?"

"Are you okay? Did I say something weird?"

He fixed his composure and reassures her, "No, I'm okay. I never thought that you would know so much about this stuff and you sound like her too. It was weird but calming in away."

"Maybe she's just stuck in your head. Anyways I said you have to be careful, you could die riding with her."

"I know, but all I need is one more ride. One more to be positive that I did pilot."

"Alright." Asuna stood up and opened the door, "I'm going to sleep now. You should too. Although you're not gonna be in a FranXX tomorrow, you're still a pilot."

"I'll go back inside later." Asuna walked inside the house, Hiro stopped the door and asked one more question, "What was your first kiss with Kirito like?"

She smiles, "It was comforting. We were in a scary situation, one of us could have died or rather if one of us did die, it would be like killing both of us. After the whole ordeal was over, I was so afraid but when his lips touched mine, I froze but melted into the kiss. My heart was racing still but I truly felt safe with him. At that time, he became my darling." she walked away, heading up the steps as the door shut.

* * *

**August 18th**

As everyone else headed into the cockpits, Hiro waits beside the red carpet with Nana and Dr. Franxx. They entered the same position as before, stamen on their chairs and the pistils locked on the platforms in front of them. Almost simultaneously, all stamen grabbed the controls as they unfolded from the pistils' FranXX suits.

The_ act of bringing two pairs of lips together, which we'd never heard of was called a kiss, she said._

The garage doors slowly opened, revealing the five lifeless iron maidens. Hachi ordered, "Commence connecting." Small x shaped pixels began covering the FranXX's faces.

_The day after the klaxosaur attack the startup ritual picked up where it left off, but in quieter circumstances._

_Papa and the other adults weren't around to witness it anymore._

_I was told the huge FranXX I rode was named Strelizia._

_I had no recollection of anything that happened after I got in, but I still believe that it all really happened,_

Everyone has managed to connect, the faces on the FranXX appeared in order. First, Futoshi and Kokoro in Genista, then Goro and Ichigo in Delphinium, Zorome and Miku in Argentea, Mitsuru and Ikuno in Chlorophytum, and finally Kirito and Asuna in Zephilla.

_and that I was able to fly under my own power._

_I'm no longer a nestling._

_So I swore never to run again._

Delphinium's eyes looked down, locked onto Hiro, he was looking up at the sky with a stern look as the ritual began.

* * *

**August 19th**

**At the Parasite Boarding House**

"Meow meow?" said Ichigo as she pets a small black kitten on the porch. "Are you mew from around here?" It rolled around on its back, softly purring while waving its mini paws around. Suddenly it heard someone approaching and immediately ran away into the forest.

Ichigo watched it depart until someone said her name, "Ichigo?" She turned towards the speaker to see Hiro standing in front of her.

She quickly stood up and stammered, "H-Hiro?!".

He tilted his head, "You didn't have to wait out here for me."

She closed her eyes and turned her head away from him, "It's your fault for running off first thing in the morning. Awkward as it is, you're staying here now. Hold your head high, and make yourself at home." Her expression softened and she walked down towards him. "I heard Naomi was all right. She was taken to the hospital."

"Yeah, I heard." He slowly walked towards the house.

"Were you the one piloting that FranXX?"

He hesitated before answering "I don't really remember. So I want to ride again to make sure."

She frowned at his response, "Again? That girl isn't part of our squad you know."

"I don't care, as long as I get to pilot."

"I heard the rumors about her. None of her partners could ever ride with her more than three times. They didn't make it out alive." Hiro recalls the moment when Zero Two's previous stamen fell out Strelizia in a bloody mess. "I don't know if that's true or not, but I think you should stay away from her."

"But if I can't pilot, I'm as good as dead anyway." He walked away onto the porch.

"Hiro..."

The moment he set foot on the steps, Goro was at the door. "Hey, Hiro. Get inside quick. That girl's in our mess hall." Hiro paused and looked up at him in confusion.

Everyone including Kirito and Asuna stared at Zero Two at her separate table, especially at what she was pouring onto her food. She dumped an excessive amount of golden honey over her food, making a mess on the table. Miku watched her in disgust with her hand covering her mouth, slowly losing her appetite. Her hands were covered in honey, as well as the strip of meat she chomped down on.

"Why is she still here?" complained Miku.

"What a strange person," commented Kokoro. She turned to Miku with a smile on her face, "I wonder if she likes sweets."

Miku leaned forward over the table, "She's not a person. Not with those things on her head." She placed her hands on her head while pointing upwards.

"Cut it out. She's our savior, you know." said Ichigo. Zero Two continued to pour more honey all over a piece of bread to then immediately gobble it down.

"Do you think she really has klaxosaur blood?" questioned Ikuno. "Besides, I thought nobody had single-digit codes."

"What about Hachi and Nana? Their names are from Code 007 and Code 008," said Asuna.

"But they're not parasites." protested Ikuno.

"Maybe they used to be like us. Maybe they piloted the same FranXX together." said Asuna.

"That means we could become adults too!" exclaimed Zorome. "Maybe I could ask how they became adults..."

Asuna glanced at Zorome, she mumbled "Became adults?" She pondered on his statement. Kids can become adults in many ways, mostly by age and experience. She was technically the oldest in the room, but to some, she's seen as an adult. However, from missing two years of real life, she's still a teen.

"She's nothing like the rumors said." said Futoshi as he grabbed almost all the bread in the basket.

Goro chuckles, "She's ruining her good looks with the way she's eating."

"I can't believe all her injuries healed so quickly." commented Hiro.

Kirito looked at Zero Two and back at his food, "Hey, Goro. Could you pass the honey?"

"Sure." He grabbed the honey and gave it to Kirito.

"Thanks." He grabbed some pieces of bread and copied Zero Two, pouring enough honey to fully coat the bread. Then he took a bite, it tasted similar to a certain baked good he loved before in the Underworld. "It's good but maybe a honey pie would be better." Next, he tried some honey on meat. Everyone watched him pour the honey in confusion, "Not bad, but maybe as a sandwich would be better." He started stacking the ingredients and Zero Two decided to do the same while Miku looked like she was about to vomit. Asuna giggled at her reaction and pulled out her page.

She texted Kirito 'Maybe for our next date I could bake us some honey pie.' He grins at her as she smiled back, a certain someone smirks at their exchange. Zorome decided to move away from Kirito and headed towards Zero Two's table.

He smacked his hand onto the table as she consumed another honey-covered bread loaf, "Hey there. It was a real treat to watch your skills in action." He pointed to himself "I, Zorome the Great, shall graciously ride with you if you so desire." Everyone watched his useless attempt at gaining a demonic partner. 'I'm sure I can do a much better job than that wuss. Why don't we try-" He was cut off as she wiped her honey-soaked hand on his uniform while licking her other hand clean. He shrieked in response, "What do you think you're doing?! Aw, my Sunday best!" Zero Two looked over at Hiro and made her way towards him. "What are you gonna do about this?!" He quickly grabbed a cloth and began wiping off the honey.

She sat down next to Hiro with her honey in hand as multiple curious stares landed on her. "This is really nice and sweet. Let's eat together, okay?" She started pouring some honey onto his plate.

He looked at his plate then looked back at her, wanting to know what happened "Tell me. Did I actually manage to pilot back then?"

She turned towards him and licked the honey off her finger. She smiled "You sure did." She moved her face closer to his "You were incredible-" and moved her finger over his lips "Darling."

"D-Darling?" said everyone except Kirito and Asuna, for they already knew what it meant.

"What's that mean?" questioned Miku.

"Beats me." said Kokoro.

"Do you know?" asked Goro.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" yelled Zorome.

"Doesn't sound like food." said Futoshi.

"I wonder what it is." said Kokoro."

"Well duh..." said Goro.

_I see._

_So I really did pilot that FranXX back then!_

Hiro started smiling as he looked down at his hand while Zero Two just watched him with her finger in her mouth. Kirito and Asuna began texting each other again and once again caught Zero Two's attention. She looked over Kirito's shoulder and read their conversation.

'Do you think I could move over to your table too?'-A

'It would be a bit odd to the rest but you could try.'-K

'But wait till tomorrow.'-K

'I feel bad for our squad.'-A

'Because they don't know about love?'-K

'Yeah.'-A

'Maybe one day we can show them about us.'-K

'Our relationsh' his text was sent but unfinished. Zero Two suddenly took the page from his hands.

"Let's see what you two were talking about..." teased Zero Two as she took a glance at the screen.

Kirito snapped at her "Wait! Give it back!" He tried reaching it from his seat but she switched it to her other hand. Kirito decided to get up and grab it from her but was blocked from her unexpected abnormal strength.

She scrolled through the pass messages "So that's what you two were doing near the water." Suddenly the door opened and a familiar red-haired lady entered to room.

Nana clapped to get everyone's attention, "Okay, keep it down, kids."

"Nana!" said Kokoro. Zorome stopped wiping his shirt and turned to face Nana.

She cleared her throat and announced, "I'll be your caretaker, just like I was in the Garden. APE HQ has assigned me to the 13th Plantation Corps. My name is Nana. I look forward to your cooperation."

"Yes! We got lucky!" cheered Goro.

"Yay!" exclaimed Miku. Zorome slowly got closer to Nana with a broad smile on his face, ignoring his honey stained uniform.

Kirito sat back down in his seat while everyone celebrated. Meanwhile, Ichigo wanted to know something about a certain guest. "Nana..."

She looked down at her, "What is it, Ichigo?"

"Is she going to stay here?" Zero Two was offering the honey-covered food to Hiro with Kirito's page still in her other hand. She noticed her staring at them and glared back at her, with a more hostile look. Making Ichigo feel a little jealousy towards her.

"We're awaiting orders from HQ on what to do with Zero Two. But in general, she won't be working with you guys." She then told Zero Two, "Come. You're sitting over here."

She groaned, "Aw, but this table felt more comfortable." She got off Hiro and stood up from his seat, heading towards Nana with Kirito's page in her possession.

"Wait!" yelled Hiro as he pulled out from his seat. "Hey, Zero Two! Let me ride in your FranXX again. There's something I want to be sure of."

Nana interrupted, "That isn't for you to decide. Papa and the rest will give you your orders in due time, too. Sit tight until then." Before Zero Two left the mess hall she turned around and threw Kirito's page at him. He swiftly stood up and managed to catch it before it landed on his food. Then she walked up behind Asuna and wrapped her arms around her, causing Asuna to flinch from her touch. Everyone looked back between the two, either perplexed or shocked from the action.

She whispered in her ear "Invite me and my darling to your next outing. We can make it a double date." Zero Two removed her arms and walked out of the room, leaving Asuna flustered in her seat. Ichigo overheard the last bit, feeling more envious towards Zero Two.

Zorome blustered, "Papa will? Give orders to him? Why?"

With a mouth full, Miku murmured "What was with that girl?"

* * *

The dim elevator rapidly descends through the plantation. Zero Two casually leans against the wall, barely sitting on the railing.

Nana warned her "We can't have you running off as you please all the time."

She grumbled, "I just wanted to eat with my darling."

"Avoid making contact with the parasites. You're too much for them to handle." As the elevator passed by the Inner City, it was illuminated by its golden lights. Zero Two backed off a couple of steps from the wall and gazed at the golden city.

She groans, "I feel like I'm gonna suffocate in here."

* * *

**APE Central HQ Council**

An automated voice reports, "Confirmed appearance of one Mohorovicic-class klaxosaur at Plantation 13. Strelizia intercepted and neutralized it." Images of the scene popped up along with statistics of the Plantation energy. "Fuel stockpile down to 54 percent. Currently anchored in the area. Requesting kissing with Plantation 26."

"Authorized" ordered Papa.

"Roger. Kissing will commence in 175 hours."

"We've received word that Strelizia has stayed back at Plantation 13." addressed Baboon.

"Another of that girl's whims? Dr. Franxx spoils her too much." comments Lemur.

"But in this case, if you just look at the numbers, it seems to be a rare sample without signs of physical aging." said the Vice-Chairman.

"It's Code 016. That's him isn't it?" queried Tarsier.

"Unthinkable. With no established cause, mixing with the special specimen will taint her blood." Gorilla insisted, "She must be recalled at once."

"But we saw how she shone in that battle," said Papa. "It's worth investigating. Let's wait and see."

* * *

**In the Stamen Changing Room**

"I'm amazed you managed to fight that klaxosaur. How was it?" asked Goro as he rummaged through his locker, searching for the special garments.

Hiro started removing his socks, "I don't remember anything about it." He stared at his right hand, "But I remember how it felt."

"I see." Goro unzipped the top half of his uniform. "Either way, I'm glad you stayed. Maybe you're the type that comes through when it matters most." Hiro unzipped his uniform as Goro nudged his back. "Man, you got the jump on me."

"Out of my way, dude." snarled Zorome. He pushed past Hiro and Goro with his chin up high, walking towards the 'Parasite Only' barrier. "I don't believe for a second that you piloted a FranXX before we did." He whipped his head back, "Got that, you wuss?" and immediately entered one of the machines. Goro could only watch him in confusion as Zorome entered the machine.

Kirito walked up and placed his hand on Hiro's bare shoulder, "Ignore him, he's just jealous. I know you piloted that FranXX, besides guys like us are beaters too."

Hiro chuckled, "Yeah, thanks Kirito." Kirito gave a goofy grin before entering a machine himself.

* * *

**In the Pistil Changing Room**

"Jeez, why are these so tiny?" Miku complained as she attempts wearing the constricting franxx suit garments again. As the fabric snapped onto her skin, she sighs in dissatisfaction, "So tight."

"Connecting feels so weird. I hope we get used to it soon. It's not at all like how our training units felt." Kokoro comments as she removes the remainder of her uniform. Suddenly Miku clung onto her pasty skin, causing her to yelp in surprise. "Hey, Miku!"

She slowly starts tickling her midsection "It's like your body is being stirred up from the inside. Here it comes! Are you ready?" Kokoro started bursting with laughter as Miku continued.

Ikuno shut her locker and turned towards the noisy pair, "Stop reminding me of it." She retreated past the barrier into one of the machines. Before slamming her locker shut, Asuna quickly skimmed through her messages with Kirito, wondering how much Zero Two read.

Ichigo asked, "Was it really that rough for you guys?" Her blue and white pilot suit started appearing over her skin, "It did feel a bit weird, but I dunno... It kinda put me at ease, like I'd become one with someone."

Miku refrained from her tickling, "What?" Asuna crept past Miku and hesitantly entered the machine to the right of Ichigo.

The machine started placing the monitor onto Ichigo's back. Kokoro commented in awe, "Wow. I wish my numbers were as high as yours. You and Goro must be really compatible."

Miku walked through the barrier with Kokoro trailing close behind "Good for you. You two double-digit elites are made for each other."

"Gee, thanks." said Ichigo as she exited the machine, Asuna soon followed after her.

Miku approached Asuna with her arms crossed, "What about our other double-digit pair? How's connecting for you two, hmm?" She slowly inched towards her.

Asuna asked, "You mean our compatibility numbers?"

"Yeah, we never saw you two doing the para-capacity tests. How were they?" asked Ichigo.

"Well, we only had to take one test procedure. I never saw the test results but before I almost fainted, Kirito said they only increased the entire time. Even Dr. Franxx was amused by the numbers." said Asuna.

The three gasped in unison, "Really?!"

Asuna questions the trio's reaction, "Yeah, so why is it such a big deal?"

"The doctor usually isn't amused by the parasites anymore." said Miku.

Ichigo informed, "Actually the last or maybe the one time I've seen him gawk over something was during the klaxosaur attack when the FranXX transformed into its true form."

"Oh really?" said Asuna.

As Miku enters a machine, she continued gossiping "Speaking of which, how about that Hiro? He brings home a girl out of nowhere and she's already calling him 'darling'." She puts on an odd-looking face before giggling. "Maybe those two will actually make a good coup-" She was interrupted by Ichigo as she slammed the door of the machine, creating a huge clang sound. Everyone could only watch her leave the changing room in silence.

As the door swiftly closed, Miku nervously asked, "Wh-What was that all about?"

Asuna mentions, "To be honest I said that same thing to Hiro the night before the ritual continued."

"How did he react to that?" asked Miku.

"He was happy that he managed to find his partner, but I don't think Ichigo agrees." She walked towards the door. "I'm gonna go talk to her."

"Ok, good luck Asuna." said Kokoro. Asuna quickly exited the room to search for Ichigo.

She mumbles to herself, "With those heels, she couldn't have gone that far." The moment she looked around the hallway, almost immediately she spotted Ichigo who was just mumbling to herself a few meters away from the door. Asuna slowly walked towards her. Just when she was a few steps away, Ichigo suddenly whipped her head towards Asuna.

She asked, "What double date was Zero Two talking about earlier?" Her outburst caused Asuna to stop in her tracks. "Goro said that Kirito mentioned it before, that it was some kind of event. After Zero Two mentioned it to you, now it sounds like Kirito knew more than he let on. So tell me, what is this date and what are you doing that makes Zero Two want to join in too?"

Asuna tried to simply phrase her response, "Well it's hard to explain, but it's just an event where friends or a couple hang out together."

Ichigo mumbles, "A couple..." She started gradually raising her voice, "She can't stay here, she isn't part of our squad."

Asuna slowly changed into her vice commander persona. "Hiro doesn't seem to care. He was able to pilot because of her, we should recognize his accomplishment, not take his chance away."

"But he'll die if he continues! Why can't he just pilot with me?!" A lone tear flowed from her eye, Asuna could easily relate to her feelings in a different way. Ichigo's expression reminds her of how she felt when her mom wanted her to transfer out of the SAO survivor school.

Asuna pressed on with a conflicting question, "What about Goro? How would he feel if you left him?" Ichigo paused from responding, for she was lost for words. The door behind them slid open with Ikuno, Miku, and Kokoro passing through. Instead of continuing, Ichigo quickly recomposed herself before proceeding down the hall, trying to prevent her emotions from contaminating her mind.

* * *

**Outside the Plantation**

One by one the garage doors rose up, revealing the five iron maidens once again. Hachi over watched the entire drill on various screens showing both the interior and the exteriors of the FranXX inside the control room."I'll be giving out your overall strategic instructions. But the decisions on the fields must be made by the leader unit, Delphinium."

"Roger." said Ichigo.

Everyone settled in their positions. "Why does she get to be leader?" Miku grumbled as her helmet extended over her hair, revealing the monitor behind. The controls automatically removed from her thighs and extended towards Zorome.

"If you're ready, we will now begin the drill. This will be your first drill in a real FranXX, but stay calm, focus on your partner's movements and entrust yourself to them. Commence connecting." said Hachi.

Almost simultaneously, all the stamen tightly grasped the controls, allowing the FranXX to power up. Lights appeared on the back of the pistils.

"Here it is!" whimpered Kokoro. Miku yelped at the sudden sharp pain in her lower body.

Zorome flinched at her reaction, "Q-Quit making weird noises!"

"It's a natural reaction!" Hachi ignored the two and observed their compatibility levels. At the moment, Delphinium and Zephilla were averaging with the highest levels while unlike Argentea, Genista and Chlorophytum's levels were very unbalanced.

He warned the squad, "If two partners are even slightly out of sync, their para-capacity levels will fluctuate wildly. The key is to trust your partners and accept them wholeheartedly." Mitsuru proceeded with the set up quietly as Ikuno struggled to connect.

'You okay?" asked Goro. Ichigo endured the odd sensation.

"I'm fine. Keep going." Their paracapacity levels began to balance out as the FranXX's visual components began to operate within the pod. Like the time in the simulator, the Zephilla pair still felt a bit queasy in their positions, but after realizing that they'll only do this with each other, the duo easily settled into positions.

Orange and blue x's covered the FranXX faces before being swiped away. The metal restraints released the FranXX, allowing the pilots to freely maneuver and familiarize themselves with there new machines. Heavy thuds echoed as they took their first steps away from the plantation.

"Did I do it right? I didn't suck?" asked Futoshi as sweat slowly formed on his forehead. An orange panel appeared to his left of Kokoro reacting as the FranXX.

She gave him a smile, "Nah, you were fine."

Futoshi blushed in relief, "We're perfectly matched, huh?" Kokoro giggled in response.

"Whoa, quit getting all lovey-dovey over this crap. I was first to finish you know." Zorome manipulated his FranXX to point at himself, or rather him and Miku. "Got that, double-digits?" He pointed to his right at Delphinium. Zorome's face popped up in a panel to Goro's left, "And don't you forget it."

Goro chuckled, "Well, he's in high spirits."

"What's the point of competing among ourselves?" remarked Ikuno on a separate panel.

"Hah! Sour grapes, much?" said Zorome.

"Besides, you're forgetting about the other pair of double-digits in our group." Miku added.

"Huh?" Zorome looked around for Kirito and Asuna until realizing they were half a mile ahead of them. He stomped a few steps forward in frustration and appeared on a panel to Kirito's left. "When the heck did you two get so far?!" Everyone turned to Zephillia, wondering how they covered more ground so quietly.

Kirito scratched the back of his head, "Sorry, I got a bit excited with the controls." No one could blame him. Being in a real FranXX felt like playing with a new robot toy to Kirito. Asuna giggled at his response.

"Hmph! Well, I can do better than that." Zorome crossed the FranXX arms. "Controlling our FranXX to move forward is so simple, but can you do this?!" He started jumping to loosen the FranXX joints before suddenly performing a handstand. Genista and Chlorophytum watched Argentea as it pushed off the ground, flipping onto its feet before maneuvering back to a handstand and turning 180 to move back onto its feet.

Miku struggled to match Zorome's movements, "H-Hey, don't be rough!" Zorome ignored his partner and proceeded with his erratic movements. He twirled around on one foot until suddenly the FranXX's foot locked up, causing them to quickly lose balance while a thunderous boom echoed behind them.

"Wh...Whoa!" gasped Zorome. Miku shrilled as they slowly fell backward. In a flash, thrusters flared as dust trailed behind the midnight FranXX. Almost simultaneously, Delphinium grabbed Argentea's left arm as Zephilla's sudden stop stirred up dust while supporting their FranXX from behind.

"You okay?" asked Asuna. The replacement duo's sudden appearance startled the entire squad.

Hachi, who has been observing the whole action, was even fazed by their movement speed. He thought to himself, 'Typically new pilots wouldn't have such high mobility.' He brought up the record of their paracapacity test before immediately closing it after just a glance.

Miku muttered "Thanks."

Delphinium's dark azure eyes gazed upon Zephilla's hazel ones. Ichigo mouthed 'No way.' She quickly shifted her attention to the troublesome pair and appeared on a panel. "The stamen has the initiative when it comes to handling so consider whether the pistil, who's connected to the FranXX, can keep up."

As soon as her panel closed, Zorome mumbled "Thanks, Miss High-and-Mighty."

"Line up in formation with Delphinium in the center and advance." ordered Hachi.

"Roger." Everyone rearranged themselves and activated their thrusters.

* * *

Drill practice lasted until sundown. As the group began their last round, a lone yellow training unit observed from the plantation outer walls. Hiro opened the pod and gazed at his group while being blinded by the setting sun. He turned away from his group.

_I did manage to pilot back then._

_If I could just ride with Zero Two in Strelizia again,_

_I..._

His air ruffles his hair as the monorail zoomed by. As if on cue, a pink-haired pistil exited the monorail. She licked on her lollipop as the training unit jogged down the path.

Meanwhile, Plantation 13's redhead caretaker received a surprising call, "A startup trial in an actual FranXX?" She glanced at Code 016's profile.

* * *

**FranXX Parking Dock**

The colossal doors slowly lowered once all 5 FranXX were recovered. Their FranXX powered off and rested in their metal stands. One by one, the squad exited their pods to the catwalk leading to an elevator. Kirito extended his hand and helped Asuna up from her position. "Thanks." She gladly grasped his hand as he pulled her up. As she got on her feet, Kirito snuck in a quick peck on her cheek. "Getting used to this now?" he asked. Slightly flustered by his action, Asuna blushed before giving him one in return.

"Yeah. The feeling from it is kinda comforting to me now. When we're moving, it feels like we're doing a switch or crossing our skills" The two exited their pod hand in hand out of habit. Before heading down, Kirito stopped to look at their FranXX.

"Our FranXX kinda looks like your avatar wearing my SAO gear." Asuna paused to face her metallic look alike. It had orange metal acting as her hair but her braids were white and look like it was tied up with orange in the back, resembling her hair in GGO. The limbs where white and the body was mainly plated with onyx colored metal with white highlights.

"It kinda does look like me." said Asuna. As they walked down the catwalk, she gazed at the other FranXX, where all resembled their pistils. But all of them looked like something was missing. Zorome, Miku, Futoshi, and Kokoro had entered the elevator before them and luckily Kokoro held the door open for them to enter.

"Thanks, Kokoro." said Kirito. She smiled in response. Asuna couldn't help but wonder about their FranXX.

"If we're supposed to fight klaxosaurs, how come our FranXX don't have weapons?" wondered Asuna out loud.

"Those won't be given until we completely learn how to use our basic FranXX." informed Futoshi.

"Yeah and I'm hoping our weapons are something cool I could use up close. Like claws!" exclaimed Zorome as he swiped the air like he had claws for hands.

Kirito lets go of Asuna's hand and slashed the air "I'd want some kind of sword as a weapon." comments Kirito.

Asuna noted, "Maybe two to dual-wield them." Kirito grins at the thought.

"I kinda don't like the idea of being right next to a klaxosaur." muttered Kokoro.

Futoshi suggests, "Then maybe we could have some kind of gun like the ones outside the plantation."

Goro and Ichigo had already gotten down before them. The two walked down the parking dock. Goro crossed his arms behind his head, "I'm this close to figuring out the trick to connecting." The delphinium duo stopped in their tracks as Zero Two looked over and casually walked by. Ichigo couldn't wait any longer, she turned around to confront the Partner Killer.

"Hey, tell me something. Why did it have to be Hiro?"

Zero Two stopped, "Hiro?" she mumbled with her lollipop still in her mouth and wondered until realizing who Hiro was. She took out her lollipop and faced the two, "You mean my darling?"

Ichigo frowned, "There you go, calling him that again." She tried to avow "I'm grateful for you for defeating that klaxosaur. But I want you to stay away from Hiro from now on."

Unfazed, Zero Two asked, "Why?"

"Because you're not part of our squad. If you're gonna up and leave one day, don't get Hiro's hopes up."

"Oh?" Zero Two slowly approached the pair, "What are you to my darling?"

"I'm the leader of this squad." informed Ichigo.

"Hmm..." Zero Two leaned closer towards her face. Ichigo slowly distanced herself as she got closer to sniff her.

Goro flinched in uncertainty, "H-Hey..." Suddenly Zero Two licked Ichigo's cheek. Ichigo yelped and stepped back as chill surged down her body. Zero Two backed off a licked her lips while thinking about her taste.

She smiled, "Sweet. I like your taste." She walked away from the two, continuing her day. Goro patted his partner's head until immediately Ichigo swiped his hand away, making him grin. The group exited the elevator as Zero Two passed by and out of instinct, everyone cautiously walked around her. Zero Two's eyes locked onto Asuna's. With her lollipop in her mouth, she glanced at her with a sadistic smirk, showing her fangs. Asuna stopped and stared curiously at her as the rest walked on without her. Zero Two saw she had no sign of fear or hostility in her hazel eyes. She walked a couple of steps closer to her "Aren't you afraid of me?"

Asuna stood motionless and shrugged, "What do I have to be afraid of?" She gave her a small smile, "You look normal to me." Zero Two walked closer and licked her cheek. Asuna reacted almost like Ichigo did. Zero Two licked her lips, tasting a mix of two flavors. Two that she's all too familiar with.

"I guess you're hurting." She glanced at her darling's look alike. "Him, too." mumbled Zero Two. Asuna tilted her head in confusion.

"Asuna!" Kirito called her from afar.

She turned to look back, "Coming!" She waved goodbye to Zero Two before jogging back to catch up with the rest.

"So what was that about?" asked Kirito.

"It was nothing." she sub-consciously held his hand. Kirito had the urge to release it, wanting to lower the risk of being discovered. But instead, he just firmed his grip, not wanting to let go.

He thought to himself, "We're just holding hands, nothing will happen." Two pistils witnessed their little gesture. One walked away, looking slightly amused while the other eye the two before theorizing a connection between them and the red pistil.

* * *

**August 20th**

**Mistilteinn**

3 o'clock in the morning was a normal time for Kirito to be awake, thanks to all of his all-nighters. He'd spent the night rummaging in the restricted bedrooms, searching for any stowed away items like a spare page or any kind of tech lying around. Being the tech-savvy that he is, he decided to find a way to tamper with the security cameras. Despite knowing the risk of doing so could lead to potential memory loss, he still attempted due to the boredom of being imprisoned in this birdcage. He went to the extent of even ripping one of the mattresses open, just to find something useful. He flopped on the bunk-less bed and groaned in frustration, "Why couldn't some of these kids be rebellious like Zero Two?" He banged his fist on the wall, causing something wooden to fall over. Kirito felt around the wall for something and found a fallen panel near the bottom side of the bed. He picked it up, realizing it was an oddly perfect cut piece to conceal a hidden small box within the wall. He inspected the contents of the container, finding a spare page along with wires and a vial of magma.

"How the hell did parasites manage to get this?" he questioned. He tried grabbing the vial and opened it. It was still really hot but luckily the outside was insolated. He temporarily placed the items back in the hole and peeked out in the hall. "Now I need some kind of screwdriver." Then he got an idea. He snuck up the stairs towards the Pistil wing, trying to find his partner. Luckily she was bunking on top in the first room he checked. He quietly climbed up to wake her, "Asuna." he whispered, there was no response. "Asuna." he shook her and she groaned from being awakened.

She yawned trying to open her serene eyes, "Why are you here, Kirito~kun?" she whispered.

"Well, I kinda need help getting a knife from the kitchen."

She loudly whispered, "Wait, what? Why?" He placed a finger on her lips and decided to get down, he waved her over as he exited the room. Asuna groggily followed him and closed the door.

He admits, "I'm trying to figure out how to mess with the cameras so you can have time in the kitchen."

Asuna immediately lit up, "Alright, I'll show you where to grab one." The two crept down the stairs, hiding among the shadows to avoid the camera. She guided him down the halls of the restricted area where there was a door that led to the kitchen and pantry.

"It's pitch black in here. Shouldn't you turn on a light or open your page?" suggested Kirito.

"You can't, there's a camera in this room." she turned his head in the direction of a small red light blinking in the corner of the room. "So just stay here and I'll grab one." Kirito relied on his ears, hearing her soft footsteps and drawers open while waiting for her to return. She soon came out with a thin kitchen knife and asked, "So what's this for?"

"Just follow me." they walked to the restricted bedrooms. Asuna placed the knife of the bed as Kirito removed the wooden panel, grabbing the box and revealing the magma vial.

Asuna eyed the orange substance, "Where did you get that?"

Kirito opened the vial, "I just found it before I woke you." He dipped the tip of the knife in the vial, melting it down flat. "Perfect. Could you hold this, Asuna?"

Asuna grabbed the blunt knife as Kirito sealed the vial, "So this is your makeshift screwdriver?" she asked. Kirito nodded. "How long are you gonna tinker with the camera?"

Kirito removed the rest of the materials, "I don't know but it shouldn't take me that long to figure this out." Asuna laid down in the bottom bunk.

"Ok, I'll chill here till your done." Before Kirito could question why she continued, "Just in case if you stay up the rest of the night. You wouldn't want to miss our scheduled breakfast right?"

He chuckled "Ok, but make sure you don't fall asleep though." He grabbed his supplies and the desk chair, ready to get to work.

**40 minutes later**

Kirito yawned as he returned to the room. He'd made some kind of progress of performing a minor hack in the camera system. He placed the chair back and stowed the materials away. He looked down in the bottom bunk, "Asuna. I'm done for now so let's-" he stopped for a moment and poked her face. She flinched at the touch but went back to sleep. "Heh, I knew it." He'd already tired himself out and from not wanting to carry her upstairs, he decided to remain in the room. He bent down to kiss her forehead before backing up and laying down in the bunk-less bed. As he drifted to sleep, he heard the bed creak as the sheets shuffle behind him. He ignored the sound and instead turned around to embrace the warm figure.

* * *

**3 hours later**

Kirito woke up and was unexpectedly greeted by no one. He checked his page to see if Asuna had said something. She texted earlier saying, "Morning, Kirito~kun. Sorry I didn't wake you. I rushed upstairs to make sure the girls don't notice I was gone. I quickly grabbed a set of your uniform too so you won't have to go up." He closed his page to find his uniform on the desk. Once he got dressed, he tread over to the mess hall where his everyone minus Asuna and Ikuno awaited. Kirito walked over and slumped into his chair, his drowsiness was hard to not notice. Goro couldn't help but question his roommate.

"Are you feeling ok, Kirito? I didn't find you in your bunk last night."

Kirito rubbed his eyes, "I'm fine. Just a little tired from studying last night." He directed his attention to the door where Asuna and Ikuno entered the room and joined the other pistils at their table. Once they sat, the group did a little prayer and began to eat. Through the chatter, Asuna noticed the table meant for Zero Two was still in the room. After she grabbed her food, she moved her stuff and took over Zero Two's seat. She gained a couple of confused stares from her squad, even from Kirito.

She looked back at him and smiled, "What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to join me?"

He paused and stuttered, "Oh, right." He moved to the seat beside her, "Sorry I'm still feeling a bit slow this morning."

"That's what you get for being up so late." She poured some honey on one slice of bread.

Kirito choked a bit on his food, he snickers, "Says the one who fell asleep." He swallowed as Asuna shoved the honey-covered bread in his mouth.

She pouted, "Quiet." The group watched their playful banter and for some, especially the boys felt a bit jealous of Kirito. They almost wanted their partners to do something similar to themselves, too.

* * *

**Sometime after lunch**

"So did it work?" asked Asuna as she handed Kirito the knife with the tip melted off. He grabbed the item and used it to remount the camera.

"Sorta." He stepped off the counter and landed on the floor. He looked up at the disabled camera, "I can't do much without the right materials so the best you have for now is a good 10 minutes out of surveillance." He placed the knife on the counter and slid his hand away from it, "Sorry I couldn't do much."

She placed her hand over his, "It's ok, Kirito~kun. Now go play with the others. I heard Zorome and Futoshi playing with the ball outside earlier."

"Ok, see you later Asuna." he kissed her before rushing outside to join the others. Asuna quickly looked around for the light switch. She felt around the wall and found a panel. It lit up and displayed the kitchen settings. She swiped a bit before finding the lighting options.

"Alright, now what is this kitchen hiding from me." She activated the lights, revealing a pristine kitchen stocked with all the necessary appliances and utensils, She'd always had to roam around blind in here for the past couple weeks, but now she felt relieved and excited to properly access everything the room had to offer. With the remaining time she had left, she located all the materials she needed to prepare for their next date, making a mental note of all its whereabouts in between. With a minute left she quickly reset the room to how it was with the lights off and exited the kitchen with an undeniable smile on her face. She weaved away from the "restricted room" and returned to the boarding house's main room where she bumped into Ichigo who'd just gone down the stairs. "Hey, Ichigo."

Ichigo observed the oddly giddy redhead before plainly responding, "Hey." Asuna started heading up the stairs, "Wait, Asuna."

She turned to look down at the leader, "Yeah?"

"You've been acting a bit strange lately. Similar to Strelizia's pistil." stated Ichigo.

"Acting like Zero Two? How?" questioned Asuna.

"Both of you have been secretive recently, especially yesterday when she took Kirito's page and that date thing. Also, what were you two talking about, back in the parking dock? And from this morning, it kinda looked like you mimicked her clingy nature on Kirito."

"Well, that was just something me and Kirito do from being partners and only having each other in the Garden and..." Asuna rubbed her arm and walked down the steps, "Sorry for pressing that on yesterday."

Ichigo sighed, "Don't worry about it. I just couldn't help but worry about him."

Asuna recognized that facade. She'd seen it on many girls that befriended Kirito "You lik-"

She was interrupted but a certain tall blonde heading down the steps "Ichigo, Hiro's on-" he looked down the steps to see Asuna with his partner, "Oh, hi Asuna." She simply waved back at him.

Ichigo guessed, "So Hiro's here?"

"Yeah, he texted me that he's out in the back." said Goro. He turned to Asuna, "Wanna go out too?"

"Sure, Kirito's outside with the rest anyway so why not." The trio walked to the back door.

Suddenly they hear Zorome shout out "Challenge accepted!" Ichigo opened the door, immediately rushing in towards the Zorome and Hiro who were trying to fight for dominance. Goro and Asuna rushed behind.

"Hey, what are you doing?" cried Ichigo.

"Stop it you two!" Kirito ran in between as an attempt to stop them, sadly he wasn't able to contain Zorome by himself. Futoshi watches the two, unable to intervene.

Goro calls out, "Come on!"

Ichigo pushed back Hiro, "Knock it off." she advised.

Zorome growled, "Don't get in the way!" Goro and Kirito held back Zorome as he tried to flail from their bind.

"Enough!" demanded Goro.

Zorome raged on, "Damn you! You're nothing but a loser!"

"Just calm down!" warned Kirito. He looked over to Hiro who just gritted his teeth. He sighs, for he was glad that Hiro was more maintainable.

Ichigo grabbed his arm, "Don't let him get to you."

Asuna whispers, "Besides, he's just jealous." Hiro looked at Asuna before looking back at Zorome. Asuna thought to herself, "You're not the only one." she glanced over at Ichigo.

"Lemme go!" ordered Zorome. Hiro reverted back to his grim expression.

Hiro sighs, "I can pilot, too. I just need a chance."

"Hiro..." said Ichigo.

Asuna walked over to Zorome and grabbed his collar. With the same stare she threw at Kirito back in Aincrad, she warned him holding her page as a replacement for the kitchen knife, "Stop struggling." She sent chills down his spine. Luckily Zorome had a sudden change of heart and finally decided to stop fighting.

He scoffed "Tch! Fine." Asuna smiled and placed her page back in her pocket.

Goro leaned over to Kirito, "Remind me not to get on her bad side."

Kirito chuckled, "I doubt you will." Even though he wasn't the one in trouble, he could still feel that time when she threatened him with a simple knife.

A page began ringing for all that's around to hear. Ichigo felt the vibration in her pocket and pulled out the page. "It's Nana." Immediately she answered the call. After a few responses and curious stares on Ichigo, Nana ended the call. Ichigo announced, "Nana wants us all to report down in the strategy room."

* * *

**Strategy Room**

Squad 13 entered the room, everyone spaced themselves out, especially Zorome who still held a grudge against Hiro. Kirito and Asuna sat in the back, side by side near Goro. Hachi and Nana stood in the front and unexpectedly, Zero Two was also present. She sat at the edge near Asuna.

"This announcement mainly addresses you, Hiro." Nana looked over at the special parasite. "We've settled on allowing you the chance to have a mock battle."

Hiro puzzled, "A mock battle with me in a FranXX?"

"That's right." said Nana.

Hachi added, "Depending on how you do, we're considering promoting you to parasite." Hiro beamed with anticipation at the thought.

"Grats!" whispered Goro from behind. Hiro looked back with a joyful smile, an expression he hasn't used for a while.

Hachi continued, "Pick your partner."

Immediately Zero Two declared, "I'll do it." She fixated her gaze towards the Zephilla pair. "Maybe we could spar against these two." Everyone looked over at the horned pistil.

Hiro turned his attention with a smile, "Zero Two..."

She faced her darling and proclaimed, "I mean, you are _my_ darling."

Ichigo raised her hand, "One moment. Let me be his partner."

"Ichigo?" said Hiro.

"She doesn't belong to our squad. Also, if you're only measuring Hiro's aptitude, it should work for me as his partner, too?" concluded Ichigo.

Mitsuru questioned, "Then why does it have to be you? You already have Goro as a partner, and you want to ride with Hiro?" His words practically were a replay of what Asuna said to her before their first drill.

"Pipe down," said Nana. She advised, "Don't go running your mouths now." She turned towards the rebellious pistil, "Zero Two, HQ hasn't authorized the use of Strelizia. So Hiro will have to take the test with someone from his squad."

Zero Two moaned, "Boo. That sucks." She stood from her seat, "Fine. My injuries haven't healed completely yet, anyway."

"Wait, what?" stuttered Hiro as Zero Two bent down to match Ichigo's eye level. Goro stared in concern as his partner slowly started trembling in her seat. "I'll let you have him this time. Go for it." She placed her hand on her petite figure and whispered in her ear, "Take care of my darling, okay?" Everyone watched her as she headed towards the door.

"Then you'll handle it, right, Ichigo?" asked Nana.

Ichigo responds, "Sure." As Zero Two passed Kirito, she ran her fingers over his head, startling him as Asuna glared at her. She only felt his slick raven hair, feeling disappointed. She walked up to the door as it slid open.

Hiro stood up, wanting to follow her, "Wait!" The door slid shut before he could say anything else.

Kirito rubbed his head, feeling around if she did something just to find nothing. He fixed his hair and looked back wondering, "What was that for?"

Hachi interjected, "Does anyone want to volunteer as their opponents?"

"Me!" Zorome shot his hand up.

Miku choked and questioned her partner, "Hey, who died and made you boss?"

Zorome explains, "I'm gonna show 'em what I'm capable of."

Miku looked over at their so-called leader before she raised her hand in agreement, "We'll do it."

"Done deal." said Nana.

Hachi declared, "The battle will be held tomorrow morning."

Zorome disapproved and raised his hand while standing up, "Wait, wait, wait!" He confidently declared, "Let us do it now!"

* * *

**Stamen Wing**

"Zorome's still mad about your fight today." said Goro as he wiped his glasses.

Hiro felt guilty for everything happening to them, "Sorry. I know Ichigo's your partner." There was a sudden knock on the door. Kirito, knowing who it was, jumped off from the top bunk and gladly opened the door.

He opened the door to greet his partner, "Come in." Asuna stepped in with a disturbed look on her face as Kirito closed the door.

"Hey, Asuna. What's wrong?" asked Goro as he put his glasses back on.

She sat down on Goro's bed and leaned towards Hiro, "Hiro, I have a question." Hiro awaited as Kirito sat down backward in the desk chair. "What kind of things have Zero Two done to you? Anything strange perhaps?"

"Uhh...well she called a perv, she pushed me to the water and licked me. She said something that I taste like danger. She, well you know..." he gestured at his lips, not wanting Goro to be a part of this matter, despite already failing considering his perplexed look.

"When did this happen?" asked Goro.

"A day before that klaxosaur attack," said Kirito.

"Oh..." Goro suddenly realized, "Wait, you were there?"

Kirito shrugged and admitted, "Yeah. Remember that date thing I mentioned before?" Goro nodded, "Asuna and I were on one that time."

"Ok? I guess. But why are you asking?" wondered Hiro.

"I just wanted to know if you knew why she does this because she kinda did similar things to me and Kirito. Like earlier in the parking dock when she licked me." She pondered what she said afterward. "But don't you remember other times?"

"Oh yeah.." said Goro. "Ichigo seemed a little off that morning when she ate with us. What was that about anyway?"

Asuna whispered to him "That's because she wanted herself and Hiro to be a part of it." Hiro's page began to ring.

"Everything ready?" asked Goro. Hiro checked the alert and closed his page.

"Yeah, I have to go." said Hiro.

"Sure. See you later." Before Hiro could open the door, Goro added, "And Hiro, don't worry about it. She never takes no for an answer."

"I'm going to make this chance count."

"Yeah. I know you can do it."

"Good luck." said Kirito as he gave him a playful punch to the arm.

"And Hiro, let's continue this later." said Asuna. Hiro clenched his fist and stepped out. Asuna stood from Goro's bed, "I'm gonna head out too."

"Me too." said Kirito. Before she opened the door she looked back at Goro.

"And Goro.." said Asuna

"Yeah?" he said.

She pled "Don't tell Ichigo about what we said here. I don't think she'll cope with knowing."

"Of course." said Goro. The pair left the room, leaving the blonde alone as he looked over to where he hid his precious little trinket.

* * *

**Outside the Plantation**

Spotlights illuminated the desert battlefield. Argentea and Delphinium stood lifeless in the center with their parasites in position. Hachi, Nana, Zero Two, and the rest of the squad viewed the post-battle from the sidelines

Zorome eagerly appeared on a panel in Delphinium, taunting, "Hey, wuss. Let's settle the score once and for all!"

"Given who your partner is, I might just beat you this time, Great Leader." noted Miku.

Ichigo replied, "Feel free. This isn't about winning or losing, anyway."

"Miku's totally up for it too." comments Futoshi as he continued stuffing his face with bread from dinner. Kirito looked over, wishing her brought a snack too. Asuna nudged his side, she was nibbling on some bread with butter on it. She had another bread in her hand with a butter packet. Kirito gladly accepted the baked good and added butter to it. The butter melted in his mouth, making him recall the time he shared his cream with Asuna back in Aincrad. Futoshi noticed their little exchange. Once he finished one of his loaves, he asked Asuna, "Do you have any more butter on you?"

Asuna smiled, "Of course." She handed him one packet and watch him experience their nostalgic feeling.

Ichigo thought to herself, "This isn't about winning. I must prove to everyone that Hiro can pilot the FranXX!" She positioned herself into the platform, reassuring him, "Just focus on connecting, Hiro. I'll take care of the rest." The controls extended from her thighs, waiting for Hiro's grasp.

"Got it." said Hiro as he grabbed the controls.

Hachi announced, "Begin the mock battle." With ease, Argentea activated and Zorome didn't hesitate to prepare himself.

He took a few light movements before declaring, "We're good to go." He extended his baton, waiting for Delphinium to activate, doubting it would to begin with.

"Focus." said Ichigo. She thought to herself, "It'll be all right. I can draw out Hiro's ability, too." Slowly the two teen-digit parasites' minds became one.

_This feeling..._

_I'm entering Ichigo's mind._

He hears her say, "It's all right. Keep going."

"Got you!" Lights appeared on her back as the monitor lit up with their compatibility levels stable enough to power the FranXX. Argentea's face stared with shock as Hiro tried controlling the FranXX.

Zorome muttered in disbelief, "Are you for real?"

"We did it!" cried Hiro.

"Way to go, Hiro." praised Goro. The other squad members watch in awe at the sight.

"But, this is where things get real." said Nana. Delphinium took its first steps towards Argentea.

"This is it! I recognize this sensation!" exclaimed Hiro.

"Let's do this, Hiro!" said Ichigo.

Hiro looked forward, beaming with confidence, "Yeah!" He extended the baton and approached their opponent, about to take the first strike.

"Bring it on!" hollered Zorome as he swiftly attempted to attack the azure FranXX. There was an obvious speed difference between the two users. Zorome performed a horizontal strike until suddenly Delphinium apparently dodged, but started to power off. Perplexed, Zorome questioned, "What?" Delphinium fell to its knees. Zero Two grins at the sight. Argentea looked down at their fallen opponent, "What's going on?"

"They stopped?" doubted Miku.

"No...Why?" pled Ichigo. The pair struggled to stabilize their connection, "This can't be!" Before she uttered anything else, she yelled, "Time out! Give us three minutes!"

Simultaneously Miku and Zorome reacted, "What?!"

Miku protests, "You can't just call for a timeout!"

"Why'd it stop!" Hiro began panicking and pulled the controls, trying to reactivate the FranXX. "Move! Move! Damn it! Why is this happening? I was able to pilot back then!" Ichigo's suit powered off and the controls retracted back to her suit.

"What's wrong?" asked Ichigo as she tried to catch her breath.

"I don't know. It just stopped."

"Was it my fault?"

"I don't think so."

Desperate to retry, she questioned, "What did she do differently?"

"I don't know. I don't remember."

"Calm down. No need to rush. You might remember something." Hiro tried to recall his memories. He had mentioned something before to Asuna, but what was it? The only thing he remembered was some odd sensation upon his lips.

"The kiss..." he mumbled. Ichigo wondered what he meant. "Maybe it was the kiss."

"Kiss?" she asked. "What's that?"

"We stuck our mouths together, and everything turned bright, like, 'Wham!'"

His lack of explanation just confused her even more, forming some kind of anger or jealously towards Zero Two. "What the heck? That's what you were up to during a klaxosaur attack?"

Hiro waved his hands in denial, "It wasn't me! She did it as soon as I got in I didn't understand what she was doing, but Zero Two said it was a very special thing." A few moments of silence passed, Ichigo mentally debated the whole situation, trying to process and figure out what to do at this point. She was already this desperate, so she decided to carry along with it.

She stood from her pod, walking towards Hiro, "Fine. Let's do it. It's embarrassing, so keep your eyes closed." Hiro felt uneasy about the sudden contact from her as she leaned forward, practically on top of him.

"W-Wait a second!"

"We can't move unless we do it, right?" Hiro stared at her cautiously, feeling more uncomfortable than his first experience. "If that's what it takes, I don't mind. This is nothing." Once she brought her face closer to his, she never felt so flustered until realizing how close they were.

"But..."

"Shut up." He could only stare at her with concern.

"Ichigo, you're trembling..." she cut him off and covered his eyes as she pressed her lips against his.

* * *

"What do you think they're doing in there?" asked Kirito as he licked the butter off his fingers.

"Not sure but..." Asuna leaned closer to whisper, "what if they're trying with the same method that started up Strelizia."

"Hmm...maybe," said Kirito.

"Could you pass some more butter?" asked Futoshi. Kirito threw him another packet now that he was down to one bread.

Zorome sat impatiently in his seat waiting for Delphinium's reactivation. "Hey, hasn't it been three minutes already?" asked Miku.

"Yeah. I don't see why we gotta wait any more." Zorome gave up and grabbed the controls, making Argentea stand up, "Sorry, but we're taking you out." There was no response from Delphinium, for the two just sat inside, building up more frustration and sadness as time passes by. Argentea easily kicked over the FranXX like a ragdoll. He gloated, "Hey, this is too easy. Guess this proves that I'm really the best." He prepared to strike the FranXX right down the throat. "I don't mind taking over as pilot for the Delphinium, too!"

"Excuse me? You're hitting on another girl now?" shouted Miku. Zorome could only look down with a devilish grin. "Cut it out already, dude!" To everyone's surprise, the baton stopped before it touched Delphinium until realizing Argentea ceased all movement.

Kokoro, who covered her eyes mere moments before, had removed them to stare at the event in confusion, "Huh?"

Hachi explained, "The trust between partners has a direct influence on the handling. Should it be thrown out of whack..." Zorome tried applying all the FranXX's weight onto the baton but it wouldn't budge.

"What's going on? Move..." complained Zorome. Miku was unresponsive to the action and quickly the FranXX collapsed on top of the still lifeless Delphinium.

"Staus report, Ichigo." ordered Nana as she appeared on panel, "Ichigo?" Somehow Zero Two appeared on a separate panel and yawned from the boredom of the situation.

"Get it up already!" yelled Miku.

Zorome fumed, "Shut up! I'm trying!" With frustration and without the help of a stamen, Delphinium slowly started moving.

"Ichigo, don't!" warned Nana. "Piloting a FranXX alone is dangerous." Delphinium remained in its two-legged state as it grabbed Argentea and blasted its thrusters to slam the pink FranXX to the wall, dangerously near the bystanders. Miku yelps in response, taking the damage as minor parts of the outer wall tore off. The two FranXX collapsed, causing an explosion of dust. Some coughed at the substance while Futoshi gasped and quickly wiped the dust from his buttery snack.

"Of all the reckless stunts..." groused Nana.

Hachi announced, "Since both FranXX have been rendered inoperable, this mock battle is over." Hiro sat motionless in the stamen's chair as his childhood friend pants from exhaustion.

_The gentle touch of her trembling lips..._

_ filled me with guilt._

_The feeling the I'd gotten to fly back then..._

_quickly slipped through my fingers..._

_and eventually shackled me to the ground once again._

As the garage doors opened to retrieve the fallen FranXX, Zero Two marched in, triumphantly flipping her hair as she walked away from the training ground.

_It felt like I was being bound up in a thousand invisible threads_

"I'm sorry." mumbled Hiro.

"Don't apologize." Salty tears formed in the corner of Ichigo's eyes as she rubbed her mouth, "You were awful."

* * *

**So if you think I was going to have Asuna and Hiro have a romantic moment, that's not happening. I'm not gonna let Kirito or Asuna get romantically involved with any of the Darling in the FranXX characters. IT'S NOT RIGHT, also it'll ruin almost everything I'm planning. I just wanted to add more special interaction or something since Asuna and Zero Two have the same Japanese voice actor. So I had to search up the "names" of the council because I had no clue who was who when they're talking. Plus some parts about the structure or little details about the environment were made up and maybe incorrect since I'm only basing this off the anime and a fandom timeline. This chapter is somewhat decent, could be better but I just wanted to finish it so badly. **

**Since you've read this far, why don't you go vote on this poll in my profile? I need to know before Episode 6 (Chapter 7) is done which is give or take around Summer (maybe now Fall) ****2020\. Yeah I know it'll take a while but bare with me. Feel free to leave a review of theories or possible extra events for months that don't have episodes tied to it.**


	6. August 20th-21st

**Thanks to multiple reasons and changes, spring is now an early summer. That kinda scares me with the current and next school year, but like everyone else, we have to live with it. Anyways, yay. Surprisingly I've finished another chapter, kinda proud of myself but now I think it's because this episode only has events happening in two short days. As always, thank you all for the reviews and votes on the poll for non-canon extra stories, (which is still ongoing so go ahead and vote if you haven't) I really appreciate them. So I always misinterpret a lot when I read and I'm not gonna say anymore except that there will be changes but not any drastic ones, well not yet anyways. **

**Also the timeline I'm basing off from fandom, Reddit, and other sources are really confusing me so its gonna be slightly altered to fit this fanfic along with the canon anime story events, except some odd timing events from ep 17 to 22.**

**Still don't own anything.**

_**Underlined Italics are Hiro's thoughts**_

* * *

Chapter 5 **Fighting Puppet Part One**

Nana, Hachi and the rest of the squad awaits as the adults retrieve Delphinium and Argentea's pilots. Both Zorome and Miku looked equally frustrated as they approached the group while the temporary Delphinium pair visibly sulked in their tracks. To some, Ichigo's puffy eyes were difficult to not notice. As for Hiro, with his ruffled black hair covering lifeless eyes, he reminded Asuna of when she first saw Kirito in the Underworld, disabled and confined to the system. They lined up with the rest of the squad, awaiting for any upcoming orders or events.

"Except for Code 015 and Code 016, all of you may return to Mistilteinn." directed Hachi. As told, Hiro and Ichigo remained as everyone else headed towards the elevator. Kirito and Asuna slowly trailed behind their squad.

"What do you think will happen to Hiro now?" wondered Asuna, her voice was barely loud enough for Kirito to hear.

"Don't worry. They won't do anything to him," consoled Kirito. "Besides, Zero Two's affected, too." He glanced behind to look at him. "Who knows what she'll do if something happens to him?"

Nana sighs in disappointment, "Ichigo, FranXX are supposed to be operated in pairs. It's dangerous to operate alone." Ichigo was well aware of her mistake, but a different action lingered in her mind.

Ichigo apologized, "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Tomorrow morning, we'll retrieve both of you for scanning." said Hachi. Both Hiro and Ichigo automatically stiffen up, feeling more pressurized the longer they remain.

"This is just to evaluate the reason for your sudden disconnection." added Nana. Her statement somewhat reassured the two, sadly not as much as she hoped. "Go join the others and get some rest. We'll see you tomorrow." They responded with silent nods before retreating to the elevator, wanting tonight to end.

* * *

**Boarding House**

Immediately after returning, rather than converse of the current issue, everyone divided themselves into their respective gendered wings. But as for Asuna, she'd returned to the stairwell, waiting on the steps for them to return. Wanting to work on his little project in bed, Kirito walked towards the stairway until unexpectedly just to find his IRL girlfriend pondering on the stairs. He walked down and sat next to her. Surprisingly she hasn't noticed him yet. He poked her cheek, snapping her out of a dazed state. "Waiting for Hiro?" he asked.

"Oh, it's you Kirito~kun." She leaned forward and hugged her legs, "Yeah. Maybe it's just the mother part of me but I just can't help but worry about him." She rests her head on his shoulder, "Or maybe I just miss seeing Yui." Kirito placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I know what you mean. I had to live years without seeing you, Yui, or any of our friends." He paused before continuing, "But you're not the only one. Probably some of the rest feel the same about Hiro."

"Yeah..." mumbled Asuna. The Zephilla couple sat quietly for a few moments until Asuna realized why Kirito's still up. "Kirito~kun, how long are you gonna stay up?"

Kirito turned his head, muttering aside, "Just an hour or two."

"I hope so. You're still mentally damaged and I don't want you to push yourself too much."

Kirito rose from the steps and walked down, "I won't."

Asuna smirks as he jumped down, skipping the last couple steps, "Either way, I'm still gonna check later to make sure." Kirito stumbled his landing, he scratched his cheek as he turned his head back towards her, giving a nervous chuckle before heading down to the restricted hallway. Shortly afterward, Ichigo returned to the boarding house. She practically burst inside and briefly scanned the room upon realizing Asuna's presence. As an attempt to avoid eye contact, she rushed up the stairs past her. Asuna called out to her, "Ichigo-"

Ichigo just looked down, almost shouting, "Good night." as she marched down the pistil wing.

"Night..." mumbled Asuna as the door of their shared room slammed shut. Deciding she needed to be alone, Asuna remained in place until the door creaked open, where the other teen digit crept inside. Instead of running away, Hiro walked to the bottom of the steps, calmly asking her, "How come you're still up?"

"Didn't want to until you two came back." Asuna joined Hiro at the bottom, hesitating before asking, "Would you mind if I asked what happened earlier?" Hiro pondered, recalling what happened not too long ago.

He muttered, "Sure." His facial expression quickly changed, surprising himself.

_Why did say yes?_

Before she uttered another word, Hiro grabbed her arm, begging "But could we discuss this on the porch?"

"Of course." The two stepped out the front door, once again returning to gaze at the serene midnight forest. "So what happened during that timeout?" That moment replayed over and over in Hiro's mind, her petite figure quivering on him and her soft lips forced upon his own, reviving his lingering guilt.

He sighs, "Ichigo kissed me, hoping I would suddenly have full control of the FranXX," he paused before mumbling, "like I did in Strelizia..." Asuna couldn't help but sympathize with the dreadful pair. "I don't know if it was right to tell her about the kiss..." he reverted to the moment when he was still in his seat, hearing Ichigo trying to stifle her tears.

Asuna rubbed his back as he released his frustration, "It probably didn't work because you've already had your first kiss." Hiro turned to face her hazel eyes, wondering what she means. She sighs, "A kiss with someone different just doesn't feel the same as the first. Plus considering how close the two of you are, you're better as siblings." Hiro looked down, thinking of his time with Ichigo in the Garden.

"Siblings..." he muttered.

"A kiss like that doesn't fit well for a sibling bond."

Hiro exhales, understanding what she meant, "I guess so..." Hiro finally manages to crack a small smile, "So is this counseling session is gonna be a thing now?"

"Only if you want it to," Asuna gave him a comforting smile, "but just remember if you need to talk, I'm here for you." Hiro was once again entranced by her motherly aura. Asuna stood from the steps, brushing off the bottom of her nightgown. "Night, Hiro." She opened the front door.

"Night." he motioned with a small wave as the door closed shut. Suddenly Asuna creaked it open once more, startling him.

"Also before you go to sleep, tell Kirito he only has an hour. Ok?" her aura quickly dissipated to a slightly ominous one. He quickly nodded as she smiled before going back in. He exhaled from that odd pressure.

_An hour for what?_

* * *

**August 21st**

As promised, Kirito heeded Hiro's reminder and had stowed his project away last night before Asuna could check on him. However, for some odd reason, he had woken up earlier than usual. He checked his page, seeing that it was only 5 o'clock in the morning. His yawn turned into a weak cough, thinking it was nothing, he settled his head back on his pillow, wanting another hour of slumber. Unfortunately, after a few moments, other things began to bother him. Rather than tirelessly shuffle in his bunk, he decided to arise and continue working downstairs. He quietly changed into his uniform before trudging down the hallway to brush his teeth. Afterward, he walked down the hall to the stairs, luckily the other stamen was still fast asleep. Kirito felt a sudden chill in the main room, again ignoring it and headed down to the restricted room. He pulled out the wired page from the hidden bed compartment and drowsily sat at the desk. Shortly after mere moments of fiddling with wires, he buried his head in his arms, drifting to sleep.

He reawakens from the faint vibrations originating from his pocket. He groggily rubbed his eyes before checking the time, surprisingly had a miss call from Ichigo. His eyes widen, seeing it was minutes till 7. Without returning the materials, he swung the door open and softly closed it before practically running down into the mess hall. Everyone was already seated in their respective tables with their heads turned to face him.

"There he is, finally." said Zorome.

Asuna stood up and crossed her arms, whisper-shouting "You didn't stay up after I checked on you right?" Kirito scratched the back of his head, realizing he still had bed hair.

"Nah, I just couldn't sleep." Kirito walked over to the boy's table, forgetting about his and Asuna's own table. Instead of reminding him, Asuna returned to her spot at the pistil table as Ichigo began the prayer. As they ate, Asuna took occasional glances at Kirito. He was oddly quieter and didn't eat as much as usual. Kokoro, who was across from her, noticed her staring.

She asked, "What's wrong, Asuna?" Wondering what she was looking at, Miku turned her head in the same direction, where a sluggish Kirito sat.

"Huh?" Asuna slightly jumped, startled from hearing her name. "Oh, it's nothing." She switched her attention to her plate.

Miku rolled her eyes and joked, "What you already miss sitting with him?"

To Miku's dismay, Asuna responds, "Kinda, but that's not entirely why."

"Then could it be why he was in our room the night before?" questioned Ikuno as she ripped a piece of bread. Asuna choked at her question, she quickly grabbed her water and gulped it down to swallow. She looked at the boys' table, luckily somehow none of them had heard her, unlike the rest of the girls at her table. Both Kokoro and Miku were shocked, staring curiously between the busted redhead and her partner.

"Wait, what!?" exclaimed Ichigo, obviously disturbed from knowing a boy was in their room at night. Her sudden outburst gained a few stares from the boys' table. She demanded, "When did this happen?"

Ikuno recalls, "I think it was sometime around 3 or so."

Miku couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you sure it wasn't Zorome or the other boys?" she questioned, knowing how perverted her partner and possibly every stamen in their squad is.

Ikuno explains, "Except for Zorome, the others would never try to intrude our room at night. Besides, if it was him," She gestured her fork towards Zorome, "He would have been loud enough for Ichigo to hear. Also, the boy in our room didn't have light brown hair." Miku immediately jumped to conclusions and marched over to the boys' table, specifically in the direction of Kirito and Zorome.

Barely able to say a word, Asuna managed to utter "Wait, Miku!" She didn't falter by her call.

Noticing Miku quickly approaching, Kirito began to ask, "Hey Miku, what do-"

"You pervert!" yelled Miku as she curled her fist and hammered the top of his head. Kirito was slow to react but yelped a bit at the sudden abuse.

He rubbed his head, "What was tha-"

"And you!" Miku cuts him off again and did the same to her partner, immediately provoking him.

Zorome growled, "Why did I get hit!?" Asuna was dumbfounded by this wake-up call, not expecting this to spiral out of control so quickly.

Miku crossed her arms, claiming "I doubt Kirito would sneak in one of our rooms without being under your influence." The boys practically had the same reaction as their partners, even Mitsuru was slightly affected by the sudden news. Kirito realized what she was referring to, instantly feeling targeted from all sides.

"Hey, I didn't do or say anything to him." said Zorome, defending himself from further accusations.

"Then maybe he's getting it from Zero Two" wondered Ichigo, barely loud enough for her table to hear.

"Right..." Miku turned back to the culprit, "But why were you even there?"

Kirito was oddly calm in this predicament, he shrugs "I just needed help with something."

"At 3 in the morning?" she questioned.

Kirito forgot that little detail. "Yeah?" he gulped. He cowered in his chair, not wanting to say anymore.

She shifted her attention to his roommates, "Did you two hear anything?"

"Not really," said Goro, returning to his food. Hiro stayed quiet, knowing he was just knocked out cold. Miku sighs until Goro jolted from a certain memory, "Actually now that I think about it, Kirito was never in our room that morning."

"Oh, yeah and his bed was still messed up," added Hiro. A thought just popped into Miku's mind as Asuna quickly perceived where this was going.

Before either Miku or Kirito could say another word, Asuna appeared behind Miku, placing her hand on her shoulder, "Could we drop it until after breakfast?" Kirito sighed, glad he didn't have to make up something again. Miku looked up to speak but suddenly paused, realizing something.

"Fine." The two walked back to their table, Miku stopped Asuna and whispered, "Must have been nice that night." her statement caused Asuna's cheek to turn a light shade of pink, "Can't wait to hear more." she teased.

* * *

**After Breakfast**

Once everyone finished, Kirito slowly got up from his seat and walked behind the other stamen as they headed towards the door. Miku noticed him lingering within their little cluster. She warns, "Where do you think you're going, Kirito?" Upon hearing his name, the boys moved out of his away, not wanting to get involved as Kirito forced himself through towards the door. Unfortunately, Futoshi didn't understand the memo. His arm was elbowed, losing his bread loaf to the floor. Ichigo, being the closest to the door and still wanted answers, shockingly assisted Miku, attempting to block him from the exit. Sadly for them, Kirito easily evaded her and zoomed out of the mess hall, escaping further interrogation.

"Get back here!" shouts Miku, as she tried to pursue into the main room with Ichigo following behind. Miku quietly but frantically examines the room, hoping to find any signs of movement or even an echo of a door closing. Ichigo briefly checked the front porch, finding nothing but little critters roaming around. As the rest exited the room, Asuna concealed herself in the corner, in hopes they won't check back for her. Ichigo and Miku trod back to the middle in defeat. They were unable to figure out where he went but little did they know that the bed head intruder was just camping away in the restricted bedroom, gathering the supplies for his project.

Ichigo sighs, "Great, we lost him." Miku groans and looked around, forgetting about his partner in crime. Everyone, except Goro and Hiro, had already dispersed and headed towards various locations.

Her eyes widen, "Wait, where's Asuna?" questioned Miku.

Before they began their search, Ichigo asks "Goro, could you check the mess hall?"

"Sure." Goro creaked open the door, just enough to peek his head through. He scanned the room and spotted Asuna standing against the corner. She placed a finger on her mouth and made a soft shushing sound towards him. Receiving her message, he closed the door without responding and reported, "She's not in there." Asuna sighs in relief as Miku groaned until interrupted when two alerts went off. Simultaneously Hiro and Ichigo had received a message.

"Time to go?" questioned Miku.

Ichigo nods, "They're outside on their way." On cue, the door swung open with Nana and Hachi behind.

"Hiro, Ichigo, follow us." said Nana. Ichigo silently nods and walked towards their caretaker.

"I'll see you later." said Goro as he pats Hiro's back.

As he joined the three, Miku asks "Have you seen Kirito on your way here?"

Hachi viewed the outside surveillance on his tablet, " Ever since we left the Admin building, he hasn't appeared on any exterior cameras." He saw a sudden while blur just after answering. Without mentioning it, the four exited the building, leaving Miku frustrated with Goro still "guarding" the mess hall.

Miku pouts, "Back to nothing." She looked around, finally acknowledging Goro's presence and pointed at him, "Goro, you take Ichigo's place and help me."

He flinched, "Wait, what?" He sighs and slowly approached Miku, suggesting "How about you stop for now and rest a bit? Probably rethink this situation?"

Somehow she easily gave in, "Yeah, maybe..." Goro sighs from her response. "Besides, they'll have to come back for lunch anyways."

Goro gave her a slightly forced smile, "Good idea." She smiles before leaving the room into the hall, heading towards the courtyard door. The moment she left, Goro looked around, making sure no one was passing by the stairwell before opening the mess hall door. Asuna quietly crept out, looking obviously relieved to Goro but feeling a mix of concern along with it.

"Thanks, Goro. I owe you one." said Asuna

"No problem, but you know avoiding her isn't going to be an option later." warned Goro.

She crossed her arms and sighs "I know. I'll try to come up with something until then." His curiosity began to peak, noticing how much effort Asuna's putting in just to cover their secret.

"Is this secret of yours that serious?" he asked.

She pondered on his question. "Well, I just don't want this to become a problem outside of Mistilteinn," She admits. "With Zorome and Miku being the loud ones, Ichigo being leader, and concerns with the rest of our squad. This could get leaked to Papa and the others."

"Hmm..." Goro rubbed his nape, "Well am I trustable enough to know?"

Asuna giggles, "Of course." An idea popped into her head. "But first, do you like sandwiches?"

Goro was thrown off by her sudden question, "I guess so. Honestly, I'm not picky so I could like sandwiches."

She smiles, "Ok, perfect." She walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, "I recommend eating light for lunch tomorrow." She headed off the same direction Miku went, leaving Goro puzzled in the main entrance. Knowing exactly where her partner could have fled to, Asuna creaked open one of the restricted bedroom doors. Unexpectedly her troublesome partner wasn't tinkering at his desk or even in the room for that matter. Asuna knelt down to check his supplies where it's supposedly under the bed but ended up finding nothing. Perplexed, she walked over to the other restricted bedroom, realizing the tapes were ripped rather than reapplied like he last time she'd entered the room. Other than the wrinkled sheets and the ripped open, bare top-bunk mattress, everything was the same as she found it. The picnic basket still remained under the table and lilacs continued to wilt near the window. Asuna walked up to observe the decayed flowers, mumbling to herself, "Maybe I should replace these someday." Suddenly they moved along with the curtains. As a breeze flows inside the room, it took a moment for her to register where he'd gone. She peeked outside before shutting the window, luckily Zorome and Futoshi weren't occupying the courtyard yet. She crept outside and softly closed the door.

"Looking for someone?" asked a faint voice. Asuna whipped her head to find Ikuno casually sitting in a chair with her nose in a book.

Asuna sighs and sat down, briefly joining the purple-haired pistil, "Yeah. Did you see him?"

"Seen him crawl out that window, but he scurried away in the forest. He was covering his face while holding some kind of sack" replied Ikuno.

"Thanks." She stood from the wooden seat, "Could you keep this a secret?"

"I could," Ikuno lowered her book, glaring directly into her hazel eyes, "but if you two are gonna keep meeting up, just don't let _him_ in our room." Asuna mutely nods before hurriedly running off, blending within the lush forest. She lagged her pace as she got farther from the boarding house. Along the way, she noticed a white sheet between a pair of tree trunks near the water. Rather than call out, Asuna snuck towards the makeshift hammock. A lean figure sat up and scooted himself to the middle, dangling his legs to barely graze the grass below.

Kirito fiddled with the wired page along with his own, inserting and shifting lines of code. He sighs as a slender hand landed on his shoulder. "I'm guessing Miku had no luck either," Kirito faltered as Asuna sat down on the hammock. He placed his project back inside the box onto his lap as she slid right against him from their combined weight.

She turned to look at him, "We'll have to say something to her soon."

Without bothering to look straight into her eyes, he mumbled in a monotone voice, "I know..." It took a bit for her to notice the bags slowly forming under his onyx eyes.

She slowly raised her hand up to his forehead, "You know you can take a break once in awhile." He suddenly swung his legs up into the hammock and laid his head down on the pillow with his back facing towards her. He stretched his arm down to gently lower the box on the ground.

"I will," he muttered. Silently, Asuna attempted to lightly brush his hair with her hand. She refrained as Kirito twisted himself, looking up into the tree's swaying leaves. "I'm fine, Asuna. I'll just sleep it off." he reassured her with a weak smile. She hesitates before replying with a fake one of her own. As she swung off the hammock, Kirito grabbed her hand, "Just say something like we or actually I accidentally fell asleep in the lounge and makeup whatever you need to. It'll be fine." She nods as she slowly distanced herself. Kirito sat up realizing something, asking "Do you have your page?" Asuna checked her pockets, revealing the slim device to him.

"Yeah. Why?"

He extended his arm, "I'm adding something to make this easier to set up."

"Ok." She placed the page in his palm, "Just text me through Goro."

He flinched in confusion, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm kinda planning on telling him tomorrow." She shrugs, "He covered me earlier, so I was gonna thank him with some food."

"Ah, ok." Kirito laid back in his makeshift hammock with his hands folded behind his head. "It might be best having him know."

She warns him, "But I think Ikuno's catching on fast thanks to you earlier."

Kirito mentally facepalmed himself and groans "Right...I didn't notice her outside. I just ran away from the camera."

She walked back to him, kissing his damp forehead, "Just be more careful. I don't want this to end within our first month here."

He chuckles, "Alright." She finally left her partner. As she trekked through the vivid forest, her pace falters after hearing a faint, husky cough echo from behind.

* * *

"Hiro, you can go first." announced Nana over the speaker. Hiro stripped down, changing into a pair of white shorts before entering the scanner. As the scanner activated, he closed his eyes suddenly recalling a faint memory from the Garden.

_The nestlings had a dream._

_A dream of soaring the skies._

_*Flashback Starts* _

_"Name?" questioned Code 015._

_"Yeah, I gave myself one," said Code 016. He introduced himself, "I'm Hiro." Hiro sat on top of a pile of cushions. There were other children from the garden with him, most of them, he couldn't recall their faces._

_Code 15 sat confused in front of Hiro, holding a fluffy stuffed bunny. "Why am I Ichigo?" she asked._

_"Because that's how your code is read. 015, for Ichi (1) go (5)."_

_ Ichigo lit up, __"That's my name?" she mumbled. Shortly after, other children dropped their toys and gathered around Hiro, all asking for a name._

_"What about me, then?" _

_"Think one for me, too."_

_Within their dark, cramped nest,_

_they clung onto one another_

_and waited for their parents who would never return._

_Code 326, a timid boy with short, nicely trimmed brown hair walked up to Hiro with a blue ball in hand._

_"Hey...Give me a name, too." he asked._

_Hiro gladly accepted, "Sure thing!"_

_*Flashback Ends*_

Hiro stood in the middle of a pearl white room where neon orange and green lasers moved back and forth, scanning him.

_But we believe_

_that great blue skies awaited us outside._

* * *

The procedure ended, the lasers powered off, allowing Hiro to open his eyes.

"Hiro, you may exit the chamber and return to Mistilteinn." ordered Nana over the speaker. Hiro complied and exited the scanner. He proceeded to dress himself back in his parasite uniform before entering the hall where a certain pistil awaits to be scanned herself. The door slid open, Hiro walked out as Ichigo enters, waiting to be called back.

"All done?" she asks.

"Yeah. They said they didn't find anything."

Ichigo grabbed her left arm, "Oh. That's good to hear." A few moments of silence passed.

Hiro stared blankly at her, thoughts of yesterday still pestered him. "Hey..." His gaze fell onto her lips before looking away once again. "Ichi-"

"Ichigo, get ready." alerted Nana from the speaker, interrupting Hiro's attempt to speak.

Luckily for Ichigo, she was able to avoid that matter, "Roger." she said as she passed through with the door sliding shut behind her. Unable to continue, Hiro retreated to the elevator where he gazed at the gilded Inner City. Hachi and Nana debriefed his results in the monitoring room.

"He's the first sample that's ever piloted with her and taken so little damage." said Nana.

"He failed to common connect with Delphinium, but he was compatible with Strelizia, even though he wasn't conscious." said Hachi.

Nana held her chin and pondered on the fact, "The only thing that could explain it is..."

"...the special specimen?" wondered Hachi, finishing her sentence.

* * *

**Lunchtime**

It was already noon and everyone had already gathered in the mess hall. Asuna fidgets in her seat, wanting to contact him with her page. She patted her pockets, mentally cursing herself from realizing her little trinket was still in his possession. Goro lingered near the pistil's table. He asked Ichigo, "Should I go search for him?"

Ichigo sighs, "Don't bother. I'll mention to Hachi. Besides the food's getting colder the longer we wait." Goro trod back to the stamen table as she pulled out her page. Suddenly from her left, Asuna loosely clutched her wrist.

She pled, "I know where he is, so please don't tell Hachi."

"He still needs to eat sometime soon though." cautioned Ichigo.

"And he will," stated Asuna. She eased her grip until completely releasing her wrist, turning back towards her plate, "I'll take care of it later." Ichigo curiously observed the redhead before beginning their usual prayer once more. Immediately, Miku sparked up a topic everyone, other than the pair in question, wanted closure to.

"Ditching a meal doesn't sound like Kirito, right?" She smirks, "I didn't expect him to let you spill alone." She lightly nudged Asuna's side. The other girls, rather than pester on, simply spectated their little discussion.

Ignoring the jabs to her midsection, Asuna maintained a calm composure. "There's nothing to share honestly."

Miku put on a sly grin, "Oh really? And what was he hiding last night? Hmm?" Asuna 's expression shifted, unexpectedly looking rather concerned.

"Probably his fever..." she admits, gaining confused stares from her tablemates.

"That's odd. Child fever rarely occurs around this month." informed Ikuno.

Asuna explains, "Kirito's been in mental rehabilitation before we've joined the squad and he's losing sleep from studying late at night." She poked at her food, trying to remember the excuse they'd agreed on through Goro's page. "He asked me for help and I saw him leave but in the morning I found him sleeping in the lounge still wearing his pajamas with the book on the floor." She glanced up and luckily the girls were buying it so far.

"Mental rehabilitation?" questioned Kororo, finally decided to utter a word.

"Why did he need rehab?" inquires Miku.

"Miku!" silently warned Ichigo.

"It's ok." Asuna reassures, "I don't know why either, but he's been sick in some way recently. Whenever that was mentioned, it was the only time when we were separated in the Garden." Soon her expression was no longer a facade, as her lie was more of an altered truth by now. "He always gives everything his all, even if he hurts himself in the process." She recalls the countless times in all VR worlds where he claimed the hero title. Even in AR or the real world, he was bruised and bled from protecting her. The entire mood at her table shifted, where their suspicion stares became sympathetic ones.

Miku didn't know what to say, beginning to regret her original motive. She turned away with a sorrowful expression, "Sorry...Forget I even asked."

Asuna reverted back to a small smile, "Don't worry about it." Wanting to change the subject, Asuna made up another detail, "Actually he needed help with botany but I couldn't really help." Asuna turned to Kokoro, "He should have gone to you, Kokoro-chan." With the change of topics, Kokoro and Miku returned to a bubbly kind of mood. The two suddenly began to ramble on about the greenhouse, forgetting the tension overall. Since then, lunch became like every other day, minus one stamen. Although he wasn't present, Goro's page started vibrating in his pocket and after seeing that it was Kirito, he wandered back to the pistil table.

He tapped Asuna's shoulder with his page. "It's Kirito." whispered Goro. She glanced at his page before grabbing it and walking out the room.

She leaned against the wall and answered the call, "Why didn't you call earlier?" frets Asuna. "Are you almost here?"

Unsure what to say, he mumbles, "Sorry, I fell asleep and no, I'm still laying in the same place."

"Stay there. I'll bring your lunch soon." she sighed before questioning, "You're not gonna skip dinner too, right?" He remained silent, struggling to hold back a cough. Through her groan, he can sense her disgruntled expression. "I'll bring dinner later."

"No, I'll come. Besides, I have to show you how to set this up later."

"Ok, but please stop for now. I don't want you to get sick during a mission."

"I'll stop, I promise. Love you."

She paused before responding, "I love you too." Simultaneously, they hung up. Asuna returned to the mess hall, giving Goro back his page before heading back to her seat.

* * *

**Dinner**

Thankfully he was true to his word, Kirito showed up in the mess hall just barely before 5. Other than a minor scolding from both Ichigo and Asuna, dinner was going smoothly. Kirito remained at the boy's table, being questioned by his table while the pistil table was somehow calm and quiet. Once dinner ended, Hiro was first to leave with Kirito and Asuna close behind. Hiro snuck off outside, heading towards the Admin building while the Zephilla pair rushed off to the restricted bedrooms. Kirito grabbed the box, the blunt knife, and, for some reason, asked Asuna to rip off some of the tapes on the door before redirecting towards the kitchen.

"Before we go in, give me the tape and open the timer on your page," ordered Kirito.

"Ok," said Asuna nonchalantly. After Kirito returned her page, the buttons felt loose as if he'd removed and placed them. She did as told and opened the timer, but at first glance, it seemed like nothing changed at all. "So what did you do to make this easier?"

"Just keep that on and follow me." As before, it was still pitch black, but unlike last time, it felt warmer inside and a faint fragrance lingered throughout the room. Kirito carefully walked under the camera and hauled himself onto the counter. Asuna remained on the ground, concealing the light from her page with her body. Kirito used the knife to pry the camera off the ceiling, he felt the wires, and luckily they're still intact as last time. He rearranged the wires with the spare page but this time, he taped the page inside the ceiling before remounting the camera. Kirito slowly climbed off the counter.

"Now what?" whispered Asuna.

Kirito pointed at her page, "Look at the screen." The timer on her page changed, it was automatically set to one hour on the timer. "Now press start." Once she began the timer, the red light on the camera powered off. Before Kirito could continue, Asuna pressed reset and the red light reappeared.

"I guess your work really did pay off." silently praised Asuna as she started the timer again. Kirito grins until realizing he had forgotten something.

"But the page has to cool down at least half an hour or so until you can use a whole hour again," added Kirito while she turned on the lights. He flinched at the sudden brightness. He rubbed his eyes and scanned the pristine kitchen, especially the appliances, "Wow, that'll be fun to use."

"I know right! I can't wait to get started again!" She looked back at her page, asking him "Can you control it with your page?"

He shook his head, "Nah, I broke my timer while testing how long the page will last." He tried opening his page to show her. The moment he opened the timer, his page turned off, refolding itself. "The extra page shocked me and began to short out after an hour and five minutes passed."

"Ah...but that means you're done now right?" He nodded in response. "Good, now go get some rest" she started pushing him out of the kitchen.

"But-"

"Don't worry I'll return the stuff, so just go take a nap." He didn't bother to argue. He still felt cold and groggy from swimming in the lake earlier during his break.

"Ok, ok. I'm going." He headed straight up the stairs towards the stamen wing.

"So what happened to that talk about Hiro possibly becoming a parasite?" asked Futoshi. Kirito paused upon hearing his roommate's name.

"He could only connect a bit at the start, so I don't like his chances." answered Ikuno.

"No way he's getting in with that weak shit." snickers Zorome, putting on a confident grin. Rather than join in, Kirito lingered in the doorway, eavesdropping on their conversation.

"I don't know about the ones who only managed to draw against that, either." comments Mitsuru. He immediately wiped the smile off Zorome's face.

As a response, he accused his partner, "Huh? That was Miku's fault for randomly falling over."

"Excuse me? Don't you remember what you said back then?" argued Miku, pointing at her selfish partner.

Zorome shrugs it off, "Why would I? Waste of time." Miku stared at him with a disappointed expression.

"You're unbelievable." mumbled Miku.

"Don't fight. It'll affect your numbers." advised Kokoro.

Reverting back to the original subject, Ikuno states, "Either way, I don't think Papa's going to accept a parasite who can't pilot."

"Yeah," said Futoshi as he shifted to a grim look and surprisingly refraining to bite on his baked snack. "We saw so many kids disappear from the Garden due to that."

"It was so sad." comments Kokoro. There was a moment of silence remembering them.

Miku broke the silence, "Ichigo's no better, though. Don't you think she's being too biased toward Hiro? She's supposed to be our leader. I don't know how Goro's putting up with it as her partner."

"What does Goro have to do with it?" asked the blue-haired leader who overheard the conversation from the doorway. Kirito flinched from their leader's sudden appearance behind him. Somewhat startled, Miku crossed her arms as she slightly turned her head towards her. Goro, who was slightly behind Ichigo had heard his name.

"What's this about me?" he wondered. Ichigo left the two stamens and walked along the wall.

Ichigo concludes, "If Hiro becomes a parasite, he'll be a great help to us. That's all there is to it."

Miku points out, "_If_ he does."

"He still has a chance." objected Ichigo.

"I'm not so sure. He couldn't even get it done with you." reasoned Miku. "I think it's over for him."

"But he did pilot Strelizia," noted Ichigo, despite hating the fact. "Even if he was unconscious, he did save us back then. I believe in him."

"Ichigo...I understand why you'd want to stick up for him, but given that he was unconscious, he was only taken along for the ride." surmised Mitsuru.

"We don't know that for sure!" Ichigo insisted, trying to defend him.

"Sure, Hiro was special. Even among the double-digits, he was a cut above," affirmed Mitsuru as he stood from the couch. "We were all certain that he'd be our leader and show us the way. But reality had other ideas. Hiro couldn't become a parasite." His speech softens to monotone, with hints of disappointment. "He's not who he used to be." His words struck a nerve in Ichigo, but she unable to say anything. "We must give up and cut our losses. I don't want to see this pathetic side of Hiro anymore."

"What pathetic side?" questioned Kirito. Mitsuru glanced at the Hiro look-alike. "No one has a pathetic side, just undiscovered."

"What do you know?" rasped Mitsuru.

"Look, I may not have known Hiro from the Garden but I know he's strong." Kirito looked around at everyone in the room, "So you all thought Hiro was gonna be leader, right?"

There were a few murmurs in agreement. "Well not every leader can just be given the title, they have to fight for it." Kirito walked over to the window as a bird flew by. "Hiro's way of fighting is in Strelizia. With Zero Two's help, he'll become a parasite," He suddenly pointed at Mitsuru. "Someday you'll realize the leader in him and that so-called pathetic never existed. I promise that it'll happen."

Mitsuru scoffed, mumbling under his breath, "I doubt it." He watched as Kirito exited the room. From the back it's easy to mistake him for Hiro, painfully reminding him of the last time he'd made a promise.

* * *

Sadly the person they spoke of was currently in the training room where he was still controlling the same yellow training unit, except a pink-haired pistil viewed him from above, waiting for him to finish. Once he was satisfied with his training, Hiro changed back into his uniform and soundlessly traveled back to the elevator. He paused upon seeing Zero Two hugging her knees as she sat up against a column. Slowly he walked up to her, assuming she was asleep, he leaned a bit closer to observe the two small red horns on her head.

"Darling, you pervert."

Startled from her words, he blurted "Eh?" She looked up to see his face.

"Quit staring." said Zero Two, sounding slightly annoyed.

Hiro immediately stumbled back, "S-Sorry!" he stuttered.

She smiles, "It's fine. The doctor said parasites are better off being a little pervy."

He questions, "Still, why does that make me a pervert." Ignoring his question, Zero Two rose from the floor and stretched her arms above her head.

"I was tired waiting for you. Let's go." She walks off as Hiro subconsciously followed her.

"Huh? Go where?" She remained silent and continued down an endless looking hallway. Hiro refrained from asking and aimlessly trailed behind. After walking down the ivory corridor maze, they finally stumbled upon an access gate. The gate flashed green, permitting Zero Two to go through and continue down the hall until stopped once an alert went off. She turned to see her darling behind the red "No Entry" gate.

"We children have restrictions on where we're allowed to go." stated Hiro. "Nearly all of this area is off-limits to us."

"Oh." Zero Two turned to him, putting on a smirk as she showed her gloved left palm.

Puzzled, he leaned closer, "Is that an S-class ID?" he sputtered. Her heels clacks as she walked back through the gate, getting behind him. "W-What are you doing?" She grabbed his torso and positioned him to mirror herself.

"If we go in together, like this..." she held his hands and synced their steps through the gate. Shockingly it flashed green, allowing both of them to pass through.

Speechless, Hiro mumbles, "I got in!" Zero Two detached herself, walking forwards before facing him while bending forward with her hand folded behind her back.

She gave him a cheerful smile, "See? Piece of cake, right?" The two proceeded down the hall towards an upcoming sliding door. The door slid open, revealing a balcony overseeing the Inner City. A surge of wind ruffled Hiro's hair as headed towards the railing, gazing in awe at the breathtaking sight. The city was pitch black but illuminated by hundreds of golden lights. Through the odd gasses, Hiro could see bodies of water flowing in a ring around the entire city.

"How'd you know about this place?" he asked as a breeze passed by.

"All plantations have similar designs. This is nothing special."

"Really? But I've never set foot in the city before. We've only ever known the birdcage and a few other facilities." Hiro redirected his attention to Zero Two, who viewed the city until sensing him staring again.

"Why are you staring at me again?" she asked.

"I'm trying to think up a name for you."

"A name?"

"I'm really good at naming people."

"Huh...Well, I'm fine with Zero Two."

"But doesn't it feel kinda lame to go by your code number?" Before responding, Zero Two grasped the railing before hauling herself over and walking down the narrow metal beam. "Huh? Wha-" She continued with her arms fully extended at her sides, "Wait, don't!" Hiro extended his shaky hand.

"Once we die, we'll only be a statistic. It won't matter what we are called." She paused and softened her tone, "Just look at this lifeless city." She was barely audible for Hiro to hear. "There's no skies or oceans here. It's isolated on a one-way street to nowhere, a dead-end of life."

Ignoring her words, Hiro yelled out to her, "Look, that's not safe! Get back here!"

"Darling," Zero Two turned around to face him. "Wanna run away with me?" Her teal eyes staring into his dark cerulean ones. "I can get you out of here, darling." Hiro watched her, perplexed by her last statement. As the wind rushed once again, Zero Two fell back, scaring Hiro until she performed a series of flips back to the balcony. Hiro stared speechless in shock as she stuck a flawless landing.

She leaned forward, with a playful smile, "Just kidding."

* * *

**The part where Asuna and Hiro talk is really similar to when Hiro and Goro talk so I didn't want to include a repeat.**

**Now Goro's slowly getting in the mix...leave a review and guess who's next. And d****on't worry, whenever I type up an episode, I tend to complete all the events for that episode. This means that when I split a chapter, the 2nd half will come out probably a couple of days later.**

**For some reason, I'm really excited to do the chapter for episode 13 even though its a memory episode. Also, I really wish Darling in the FranXX was on Netflix, which would make this whole thing easier and faster...**


	7. August 22nd

**See I keep my promises. Currently, I'm not sure if I'll post again next month since I'm taking the time to rewatch each episode over and over to see what I can change and potentially add that won't screw up the entire canon story (There's like 3 episodes that I can't think of any way to alter them at the moment like ep 6 which really sucks). Also, a little warning, something will happen when the story gets to January which I bet that some of you may not like. **

**Either way, vote on my profile if you haven't to determine extras for future chapters. Also, I'm currently working on the picture of Zephilla which will eventually be on my Wattpad (SpectralTigger) with the same chapter title. **

**I don't own anything.  
**

_**Underlined Italics are Hiro's thoughts**_

* * *

Chapter 6 **Fighting Puppet Part Two**

**August 22nd**

**Briefing Room**

"We've received sortie orders from HQ." announced Hachi. All, except one stamen, of Squad 13 sat in their pilot suits, splitting themselves by gender. Kirito and Asuna still sat somewhat together in the middle while Hiro distanced himself from the rest of his squad, still wearing the normal stamen parasite uniform.

"Huh? W-We're going out to fight already?" stuttered Futoshi.

"Don't get so nervous." Nana reassures, "You won't have to fight klaxosaurs like the one from before right off the bat." Practically everyone visually eased up.

"Thank goodness." sighed Miku.

Nana adds "We would've like to ease you in, but we can't afford to, unfortunately."

"You'll be facing a Conrad-class Klaxosaur." Hachi crossed his arms as a holographic image of the mission area appeared. Along with hologram was a small 3D image of a Conrad-class klaxosaur, showing where its core was located. "It's a bit smaller than a FranXX. Klaxosaurs are attracted by magma-energy reactions and appear in their vicinity. And lately, they've been showing up deep in a level 8 mine on the outskirts and wreaking havoc."

Kirito mumbled, "Sounds like the secret dungeon under the Black Iron Palace." Asuna silently agrees with the resemblance.

"Even the automatic bulwark systems can't keep up with them." explained Hachi.

"Also, Strelizia won't be part of this mission," noted Nana. Hiro stared with concern at their caretaker. She continues, "You'll have to defend Plantation 13 by yourself eventually. If you can't eliminate this klaxosaur, you won't be able to handle any in the future. So focus on the task at hand." She looked towards the blue pistil and her blonde stamen. "Ichigo and Goro will have field command."

"Roger. " said the Delphinium pair simultaneously.

"That's all." finished Hachi. "All hand prepare to board." Everyone headed off down the hallway, where the catwalks extended from both sides, creating a ring around their FranXX head. Hiro watched over his comrades from the viewing area behind the briefing room. Unlike the last time they've seen their FranXX, their weapon attachments were mounted on a stand in front of the FranXX. All had color schemes matching the user's FranXX.

The Delphinium pair were the only ones still on their catwalk. "Is the mock battle still bothering you?" asked Goro, his partner remained silent. "We're going into actual combat now. Switch gears."

"I know..." mumbled Ichigo. Something still lingered in her mind. She turned to Goro, "Hey..." Goro curiously faced her. Ichigo tried to continue but refrained and shook her head, having second thoughts. "I'll do my best as leader. Take care of the handling." She raised her right arm towards him with her hand as a fist.

"Sure." said Goro as he fistbumps her. "Let's do this."

Meanwhile, in Argentea, Zorome exclaims, "My first battle at last!"

"You'd better not go crazy by yourself again, you hear me?" warned Miku.

Zorome crossed his arms and grins, bursting with confidence, "Relax! I got this!" He crowed a brief laugh as Miku turned away, doubting her partner's words.

She murmurs, "I'm not sure you got anything."

In Delphinium, Ichigo and Goro got into their positions. The controls extend out of her pilot suit, allowing Goro to grasp them. He asked, "Ready, Ichigo?"

"Yeah. Come to me." The lights on the back of her parasite suit lit up, leading up to the monitor on her helmet. The feeling surged through again, but luckily not as painful as previous connections. Their paracapacity seamlessly exceeded the minimum, allowing the face of their FranXX to appear along with Argentea and Genista following behind. Oddly Zephilla had taken longer to connect.

"Are you ok, Kirito~kun?" asked Asuna. Kirito tried to hide his strained gasps as he viewed the monitor, seeing how their paracapacity levels barely entered the maximum range.

Not wanting to be pulled out of the mission, he reassures her, "I'm fine. Just focus on connecting and the mission." Asuna hesitates, wanting to inform Hachi, but instead continued to sustain their connection. As their connection delayed, Chlorophytum struggled to follow, not even the neon-colored x's appeared once. The P-Factor provided by Mitsuru maintained well into the medium range while the N-Factor from Ikuno was unable to stabilize within the minimum range.

Noticing the issue, Hachi appeared on an audio call to Mitsuru's right. "What's wrong, Chlorophytum?"

"Doesn't look like Ikuno can do this," reports Mitsuru, still sounding as monotone as usual.

"I'm nearly there! Just give me a bit!" protested Ikuno through the heavy pants and sweat dripping down her face.

"Don't bother. It's over," states Mitsuru. Within the monitoring room, Hachi overlooked everything as he stood in the center of the room while two AI looking workers assisted him.

"Chlorophytum's paracapacity is below required levels and dropping further." reported one of the workers.

"No go, huh?" said Hachi. He swiped the holographic screen, informing Delphinium of the situation. "Chlorophytum will stay behind. The other four are to head out without it."

"Roger that," said Ichigo. Hiro and Nana had overheard all communication. Nana looked over at all the paracapacity connections of the remaining FranXX. All remained the same except their berserker unit, Zephilla.

"This might be tough," comments Nana.

The four iron maidens were released from the restraints, allowing them to equip their weapons. Delphinium, the leader unit, wields a pair of spear-like swords with an orange magma-energized spearhead. Argentea, the melee scout unit, wields a pair of orange, magma-energized wolverine claws. Genista, the siege artillery unit, wields a cannon taller than the FranXX itself and has an orange magma-energized bayonet. Zephilla was labeled as the berserker unit, but at first glance, it would be assumed as a melee tank unit. The weapon shape and length almost resembles Kirito's Black Iron Sword back when he'd first played ALO. The hilt ends just below Zephilla's head and had a similar style to Delphinium's handles but was colored half black and the other half white. The entire blade was silver with a magma energized central ridge and edge all around. As Zephilla removed the sword from its stand, Kirito speculates on the design, for it appears as if the sword could entirely split in half.

The garage doors opened and immediately all four FranXX stepped out before switching to their thrusters. "Stay on course and remain in formation." reminds Hachi.

"Roger that." Ichigo had heard everyone respond but it sounded like one pair stayed silent.

"Zephilla?" questioned Ichigo. She turned to the black and white FranXX, not hearing any response from either of them. Zephilla held its massive weapon, Kirito examined the hilt, finding two buttons just below the blade.

Kirito thought to himself, "Do sword skills exist in this world too?" Instead, they oddly accelerated further ahead from the rest, slashing the air in front of them. The weight of the sword almost made them lose their balance. Kirito checked his side panel, seeing if there was a skill window or something related. After a few random guesses, a panel appeared to his left, displaying an image of their FranXX and their weapon along with their stats.

* * *

**Zephilla**

**Pistil:** Code 046

**Stamen:** Code 096

**Successful connections:** 3

**Timed outs:** 0

**Stampede:** 0

**Kill Count:** 0

**Energy level:** 97%

**Skill Mastery**

**ENABLED One-Handed Mode:** 0/1000

**-Sword Skill List**

**DISABLED Dual-Blades Mode:** 0/1000

**-Sword Skill List**

**DISABLED Double-Edge Mode:** 0/1000

**-Sword Skill List**

**ENABLED Thrusters: **32/1000

* * *

Ichigo calls out "Zephilla, slow your pace."

"Wait for us Kirito." groaned Futoshi. At the moment, Kirito curiously viewed the unlocked sword skills, each sword skill was on the list but sadly most were locked. Kirito lit up after seeing there was a dual wield mode, wanting to try it out so badly.

"Kirito~kun?" said Asuna, wanting to get up and release herself from the platform. Suddenly Kirito jolts, realizing what he was doing before slowing their forward motion. "Hey, you ok? Are you sure we shouldn't pull out of the mission?"

"Is something wrong?" questioned Hachi as he appeared on an audio call to Kirito's right.

"No, everything's fine." Kirito pressed a button on one of his control panels, canceling the call and closing the stats window. Hachi observed Zephilla's paracapacity, the P-Factor had a sudden drop into the minimum range before staggering back into the maximum range. Slowly the group arrived at the site, passing multiple craters until arriving at the magma extractor near something that looked like an elevator for FranXX.

"What a big hole. How far down does it go?" wondered Kokoro.

"This is nuts. It's a monster pipe." gasped Zorome. They examined the facility, to Kirito and Asuna, it resembled an oil pump from their society.

"They used these to extract the magma reserves, huh?" marveled Goro.

The group got onto their own platforms, slowly being lowered down the hole. Hachi recites "Head down to Level 8. As you're well aware already, in order to completely neutralize a klaxosaur, you must extract its core, which is essentially its heart, and shatter it using your customized magma-energy weapons. Shatter the core and finish off the klaxosaur without fail. Got that?" One by one the group jumped off the lift onto the base of the extraction point.

"Roger." said all the pistols. With Delphinium in front and Zephilla at the back, the party headed down one of the misty tunnels.

"Heading to objective. Follow behind Delphinium, all of you," ordered Ichigo. The tunnel directed towards a cramped corridor into a colossal cavern.

"Understood," said Kokoro and Asuna simultaneously.

"And Miku?" continued Ichigo.

"Understood!" replied Miku.

Meanwhile, the door to the briefing room slid open, revealing Ikuno and Mitsuru. Nana and Hiro redirected their attention to the Chlorophytum pair. "What happened? Are you not feeling well?"

"No, that's not it." stated Ikuno.

Nana gave her a smile, "Very well. You have always been a bit unstable. We'll run some tests on you tomorrow, just in case."

"If I may..." Mitsuru chimed in, "Maybe the two of us have compatibility issues?"

Nana explains, "A lot of parasites experience this at first. It isn't grounds for splitting you two up."

Mitsuru looked away, "Is that so?" Despite being visually unfazed, his tone had a hint of disappointment which was unnoticed by Hiro. Suddenly an alert went off and displayed Delphinium's perspective.

"We have a visual on klaxosaur. FranXX spreading out." disclosed Ichigo. They were currently in stand by in a dim corridor. "In position. Commencing operation."

Argentea peeked from behind to view the Conrad-class klaxosaur. It suctioned itself onto a metal cylinder containing magma. "Huh, it's smaller than I thought it'd be." observed Miku.

"What a relief." sighed Kokoro as Futoshi positioned their cannon towards the tiny klaxosaur.

"Stay alert. We'll do this as planned." said Ichigo. With the rest following behind, Delphinium rushed towards the klaxosaur, using the momentum to the swing its right spear to pierce the klaxosaur. Some kind of blue blood gushed out as Delphinium's left spear forced the klaxosaur off of the cylinder. Unexpectedly, it bounced off the ground like a ball and sprouted spider legs. Using the cannon's bayonet, Genista pierced the klaxosaur, raising it up for Argentea to strike.

"Gotcha!" yelled Zorome as he manipulated the Franxx to pierce the creature to the ground with its left claw.

"Way to go, Zorome." praised Futoshi. Kirito viewed their weapons, realizing there was no light effect, he assumed they only performed normal attacks.

From viewing the scene in the briefing room, Hiro cried out with a grin, "They did it!"

"Not yet." The unforgettable voice came from behind. Nana, Hiro, Ikuno, and Mitsuru redirected their attention to Zero Two, who was, as always, enjoying her sweet lollipop.

"Zero Two?" murmurs Hiro.

Back at the battlefield, Zorome controlled Argentea into a victory pose, being overly confident again. "See? That's what I'm capable of!" gloated Zorome.

"Hey, cut it out. You're embarrassing me." uttered Miku as both herself and their FranXX displayed a flustered expression.

Argentea turned back at Zephilla, Zorome went on and somewhat apologized "Sorry I couldn't spare you the kill, Kirito." There was hardly any genuine consideration in his tone.

Zephilla shrugs, "It's fine, you can finish it off. Honestly, I'm kinda disappointed there was only one to handle." states Kirito as he crossed his arms.

"But that's good, you've been spacing out a lot already." recited Asuna.

Ichigo reminds "It's not over yet! Destroy the core at once!"

"I-I know, I know..." stuttered Zorome, hiding how he'd forgotten the crucial part. He loosened up their right shoulder joint as the klaxosaur began to fidget, "For a klaxosaur, this thing wasn't a big deal." Just as Argentea was about to strike, the klaxosaur released a loud screech before attaching itself to the twin-tailed FranXX. Shocked by the sudden attack, Miku yelped in pain as Zorome struggled with the controls.

"Miku?!" cried Ichigo in concern of her fellow comrade. They fell backward as the klaxosaur continued to scratch at the FranXX, making sparks fly while sending electric shocks solely to Miku who faints and disconnects from the FranXX.

Zorome watched his partner fall, shouting to her, "Hey, Miku? Miku!"

"Damn you!" snapped Futoshi as he fired the klaxosaur off Argentea, revealing the core during the process. Zephilla finally stepped in and plunged its sword straight down into the core, stopping the klaxosaur from squirming.

As an attempt to reawaken his partner, Zorome cried out, "Hey, Miku! You okay? Miku!" She was unresponsive to his calls, she remained unconscious as sweat covered her face.

"You okay, Miku?" asked Ichigo. Suddenly another Conrad class fell from above with its spider legs sprouting out.

"There was another one?" bleated Goro.

After further examining the area they were in, Futoshi trembled in his seat, "Uh, wait a second..." Immediately handfuls of Conrad-classed klaxosaur followed suit.

Kirito mumbles, "Well I jinxed us."

"How...How many of them are there?" muttered Kokoro.

Delphinium quickly grabbed Argentea, Ichigo hollers "Let's get away from here for now!"

"Yeah." said Kokoro as Genista nervously looked back at the klaxosaur heap before following Delphinium back through the corridor while Zephilla remained with the klaxosaurs.

The entire situation was observed from the briefing room, allowing everyone there to view Delphinium's troubling perspective. "This is bad." comments Nana. "They've attracted several klaxosaur by releasing their magma energy." Zero Two ponders on the steps with her arms crossed behind her head.

"See what I mean? You should've sent me right from the start." insisted Zero Two.

Everyone looked back at her, even Hachi appeared on the monitor with a video call. Nana falters, "You..."

Zero Two smirks, urging them to send her out, "Are you sure about this? They're all gonna die, you know." Suddenly Zephilla's perspective appeared on the holographic screen.

Over the comm, Kirito smirks, "Now this is a battle." Zephilla pressed both the buttons on the hilt, allowing the greatsword split apart, activating dual blade mode.

Asuna marveled at the sight, "So that's why you were spacing out." The pair faced the mound of klaxosaur piling in front of them.

Kirito teased, "Can you keep up?" He manipulated Zephilla into his battle stance.

"Always," responded Asuna.

Zephilla zoomed off into the horde, performing arrays of horizontal slashes to reveal the cores of six klaxosaurs. Kirito started activating «Double Circular», the silver portion of the blades illuminated a golden yellow. Zephilla simultaneously cut deeply into all six cores, increasing their kill count to seven. Everyone viewed their unexpected feat, blue blood gushed out the exploding corpses with gallons more splatting all over their FranXX. As the duo continued to stab the klaxosaurs around them, Kirito activates «Final Revolution». Their dual black and white blades glowed a neon green before performing a dual horizontal slash, eliminating four more klaxosaurs. As the parasites in the briefing room marveled at their actions, Hachi viewed their paracapacity. N-Factor was still at max as the P-Factor began to stagger, almost entering the minimum range. He swiped to view their energy level before quickly connecting with an audio call.

Hachi commands "Zephilla, cease your attacks and follow Delphinium."

"Just a couple more klaxosaurs and we're in the clear." Kirito slowed his movements, he began feeling fatigued and disoriented by their erratic attacks.

"Your energy level is reaching 50%. You won't have enough magma left to leave if you continue." continued Hachi. Kirito briefly checked their stats to make sure.

* * *

**Zephilla**

**Pistil:** Code 046

**Stamen:** Code 096

**Successful connections:** 3

**Timed outs:** 0

**Stampede:** 0

**Kill Count: **11

**Energy level:** 48%

**Skill Mastery**

**DISABLED One-Handed Mode:** 3/1000

**-Sword Skill List**

**ENABLED Dual-Blades Mode:** 19/1000

**-Sword Skill List**

**DISABLED Double-Edge Mode:** 0/1000

**-Sword Skill List**

**DISABLED Thrusters:** 40/1000

* * *

"What?! How are we using that much magma?" sputtered Kirito sweat dripped down his pasty skin.

Asuna mentions, "It's probably the skills you were using." Their paracapacity became unbalanced as Asuna became unresponsive, refraining Kirito from attacking the remaining klaxosaurs. "Let's stop and join Ichigo and the others."

Kirito pants, "Ok," He conjoined the twin black and white blades into one sword again. "We held them off at least." Zephilla sprinted down the corridor to follow the rest of the group. Sadly the duo was unaware of how many more they've attracted. They finally caught up with the group, taking Argentea off of Genista's shoulders, allowing their pace to somewhat speed up.

"Where have you been? We thought the klaxosaurs got hold of you two!" scolds Ichigo.

Kirito struggled to hide his cough, "T-They were nothing, we've been through tougher battles." he rasped. Asuna cringed from his slip up, causing Zephilla to almost trip itself down to the cavernous floor.

"Careful! They're catching up!" warns Futoshi. Mass amounts of Conrad class klaxosaurs scurried through the caverns, pursuing the party. Back in the briefing room, Hiro watched as his friends desperately fled away, wanting to help them.

He turned to Nana, begging, "Send Zero Two and me to help!"

"That's not happening," stated Hachi from the video call. He explains, "You're not an official stamen. I can't give you permission to board a FranXX."

Zero Two reiterates, "This is no time to stick to the rules. This plantation's squad is about to be wiped out again." She hopped towards the group, surprisingly jumping effortlessly over a meter before landing directly in front of Nana. She placed her left hand on her hip, finally demanding, "Just send me out already." She leaned forward, almost butting their foreheads, "Let me ride with my darling." Nana was unstartled, being well accustomed to her hostile nature.

"You will not be allowed to sortie." concluded Nana.

After exchanging intense glares at each other, Mitsuru suggests, "If Hiro can't do it, I guess I'll have to go."

"Mitsuru?" mumbled Ikuno.

He justifies, "She's right. They're all going to die if we don't send Strelizia. And I'm the only stamen parasite here right now. Then I have to go, right?"

Nana warns him, "Strelizia is no ordinary FranXX. If you aren't used to its connect-"

Mitsuru interjects, "I'll be fine. Even Hiro here could ride it, so there's no way I couldn't."

Nana ponders on his words before turning to the horned pistil, "Can you ride with Mitsuru, Zero Two?"

She sighs as her patience dwindles down, "Uh, did you not hear me? I said I want to ride with my darling." Zero Two turns to Hiro as a smile returned to her face. "You feel the same, right, darling?" Hiro's expression grew dreary. Currently, his squad was within the cramped corridors, still carrying Argentea as klaxosaurs overcrowded the path behind them.

"Zero Two..." She anticipates his judgment, expecting Hiro to support her. "Go with Mitsuru."

Shocked by his response, she frowns, "You really want me riding with someone else?" Hiro clenched his fist, he was more concerned about his friends' safety. More than anything else, his friends' lives were everything, even if he's ditching an opportunity to fulfill his purpose as a parasite.

"Please." pled Hiro.

"Hmm..." Zero Two sighs, "If you say so. Got it." Zero Two and Mitsuru trailed behind Nana. Without a word or shift in her expression, she walked by him, making him ponder on his decision.

Mitsuru paused next to Hiro and smirks, "Don't come crying to me when you regret the goody-two-shoes act later. I'm going to prove that I can pilot Strelizia better than you did." The temporary Strelizia pair headed down the hall onto the catwalk, suited up and ready to pilot their FranXX.

_There may have been a part of me that hoped she would refuse._

Hiro, Ikuno, and Nana watched as Strelizia successfully powered up, quickly equipping their spear before bursting out of the parking dock.

* * *

Zorome sat nearby his chair where he moved Miku, waiting for her to reawaken. Slowly Miku's eyes fluttered open, she groans "Huh?" Hearing her soft voice, Zorome walked over to her as his worries disappeared.

"Mi...Miku!" gushed Zorome as he fell on top of her to embrace his twin-tailed partner.

Shocked by his sudden gesture and body weight, Miku put a flustered face, questioning him, "Wh-What's gotten into you?" As the two repositioned themselves, Delphinium and Zephilla leaned up against a metal wall that separated the group from hordes of ravaging klaxosaurs. The sound of them scraping the metal almost counters the blaring alarm overhead.

"Miku came back to life!" announced Zorome as their FranXX powered up to be greeted by Genista who've been watching over the once lifeless FranXX.

"Thank goodness!" exclaims Kokoro.

"I never died!" protests Miku.

Ichigo asks, "Miku, are you o-" She was cut off as the pressure behind Delphinium started to push back. Genista and Argentea assisted the two FranXX.

"I'm fine!" loudly replies Miku.

"But we won't last much longer." grunts Futoshi. Suddenly Hachi started an all unit audio call.

He announced, "Strelizia's coming to back you up. Can you hold out until it arrives?" Once Ichigo heard, Delphinium's N-Factor began to stagger as Genista bursts with joy.

Futoshi exults "All right! If we can just hang in there until then..."

"Yeah!" said Kokoro.

"Who is it? Who's piloting it?" yelled Ichigo, demanding answers while hoping for a stampede version of Strelizia rather than the two-legged version piloted by Hiro.

Goro spoke over her, "Hey, Ichigo! Focus!" He fell forward as Ichigo became unresponsive. He heaved, "Why'd she suddenly get so heavy?" He called out again to his partner. "Ichigo!" She couldn't hear his voice for the only thing that processed in her head was that first kiss she had with Hiro, back in the mock battle. Like Hiro, she relived the moment in her head, unable to control her FranXX anymore. Delphinium powered off and fell forward, no longer supporting the metal wall.

"H-Hey!" stuttered Miku. Huge dents appeared on the blind spots. She questions Ichigo, "What's gotten into you?"

"We can't stay here! Run to the center!" shouted Goro. Not wanting anyone to die, Asuna temporarily took over for Ichigo.

"Argentea, use your speed and get Ichigo and Goro out of here." ordered Asuna.

"Roger." Argentea immediately grabbed the fallen Delphinium, sprinting away down the hall as the duo tried to reconnect.

"Genista, get back. Futoshi, when this wall goes down, shoot right at them. Don't worry about accuracy, just fire, and we'll be out of the way." continued Asuna as she started to feel an odd sensation on the back of her legs. Zephilla glanced at the wall they were supporting, almost a dozen of neon blue legs were piercing through the metal.

"Got it!" Genista distanced themselves and prepared a shot as Zephilla struggled to hold them anymore. Kirito pushed themselves off the wall, allowing it to fall. As the klaxosaurs burst through, Genista fired its cannon but Zephilla was in the way where the shot was practically aimed at its head. As if time slowed down in the STL, Kirito almost fell forward out of his chair as he moved the controls, barely able to move Zephilla out of the way in time. On contact, the klaxosaurs were blown away, some had enough skin blown off to reveal their cores. Unfortunately, only one exploded as metal scrap stabbed its exposed core. The explosion slightly propelled Zephilla forward, but luckily they bought enough time to increase the distance between them. By the time Genista and Zephilla caught up, Delphinium was back on its feet as Zephilla started to stumble on its own. Soon the group exited the tunnel and returned to the center.

"We have to hang on until Strelizia gets here." said Goro. Suddenly Genista stops, causing the FranXX behind it to almost fall forward. "What's wrong?" asked Goro. He looked around himself, seeing another group of Conrads class klaxosaurs beginning to assemble around the center.

"We can't handle this many!" shuddered Futoshi. Argentea slowly backed away and looking appalled at a certain tunnel behind the klaxosaurs.

"Hey, Leader..." mumbled Miku as another klaxosaur, ten times bigger than the Conrad klaxosaurs, shuffled towards the group. "What're we gonna do about this?"

Ichigo spaced out, unable to say or do anything. She thought to herself, "If I hadn't let my mind drift to stupid thoughts back there, things might not have come to this. Strelizia would've made it on time, too." A certain FranXX began to plunge down into the hole, flipping mid-air near the pipe. "I've failed as a leader."

As the klaxosaurs mouth gaped open like flower petals, a red and white FranXX jammed its magma energized spear into its body. Its momentum along with the spearhead easily ripped through the klaxosaur's body.

Everyone, simultaneously shouts, "Strelizia!" The core shattered and the klaxosaur exploded, drenching Strelizia with blue blood. The overall impact to the ground created a crater where the klaxosaur used to be, causing a wave of dust that blew away the majority of the klaxosaurs, even the squad's FranXX were swept to the floor.

"Hiro?" Immediately Ichigo questioned the red FranXX, "Is it you, Hiro?"

"All of you get back." said Strelizia's stamen.

"Huh? That voice...Is that you, Mitsuru?" wondered Zorome.

"All units, let Strelizia handle things there and evacuate." commanded Hachi from an audio call on Goro's left.

"Roger," said Goro. He turns back at his partner, "Let's go, Ichigo."

"Y-Yeah..." stuttered Ichigo as Strelizia pierced its spear into a Conrad klaxosaur. As ordered, everyone climbed back onto the lift. Zephilla wandered over towards the lift until suddenly their P-Factor fell below the minimum range. Kirito had already reached his limit. His vision began to blur as his limbs numbed. Before he knew it, he'd already fallen off his chair, causing Zephilla to fall over and power off.

"Kirito~kun?" questioned Asuna as she released herself from the pistil's platform and rushed to Kirito's side. The moment she felt his forehead, it almost felt as if she touched a stove burner. "Kirito~kun..." She cursed herself, "We shouldn't have gone on this mission..."

"A-Asuna..." groaned Kirito through his labored gasps.

Delphinium appeared on a panel next to the stamen chair. "Asuna, what's wrong?" questioned Ichigo, looking down as the base got farther away.

"Kirito's sick, he can't pilot." said Asuna. Klaxosaurs began to crowd around Zephilla, scratching at its limbs. Upon seeing this, Strelizia rushed over and quickly eliminated the klaxosaurs.

Argentea leaped off the lift "Zorome to the rescue!" shouts Zorome as he manipulated their FranXX to grab Zephilla, propping them onto a platform before getting onto another one themselves.

"Thanks, Argentea." said Asuna. She held Kirito close with his head resting on her lap. Meanwhile, Strelizia's stamen continued to enjoy slaughtering more klaxosaurs.

Mitsuru rambles on, "This is amazing! I feel the power! I feel like I can do anything! I'm amazed changing partners could make such a difference. I knew I wasn't the problem! I'm just as good as Hiro!" His cynical side began to reveal itself as Strelizia slashed at the klaxosaur, causing endless explosions of blue blood. "Hiro! Are you watching this? We're in perfect harmony! I can pilot Strelizia as I please, without losing consciousness!" He turned to Zero Two who hasn't uttered a single word ever since they'd left the briefing room. "If you want, I don't mind becoming your official partner. We'd make the greatest duo, don't you think?!" From the lift and the briefing room, everyone can witness Strelizia wreaking havoc and hear Mitsuru screech like a maniac. Ikuno could only cover her mouth, shocked that her partner finally cracked. Hiro turned away from the screen, not wanting to hear or see Strelizia.

"Oh, really?" muttered Zero Two. Strelizia moved without Mitsuru controlling it. Its expression was menacing as if a demon took over. " I guess I can try going all-out for a bit, then." Zero Two's tone became eerie, sounding like she's threatening Mitsuru.

Mitsuru flinched at her words, "Huh?"

Genista and Delphinium grabbed Zephilla, hauling them off the lift so Argentea can safely get up. Hachi orders "Strelizia, that's enough. The other units have evacuated. Get out-"

Zero Two interjects, "I'm gonna have some more fun before I leave."

"No! Return at once, Zero Two!" demanded Nana. Zero Two dismissed the call. "That girl..." muttered Nana. "Prepare to retrieve Strelizia and its stamen at once."

Ikuno overheard a certain word, she murmurs, "Retrieve?"

It was almost sunset once they've arrived on the surface. The trucks arrived, containing lifts to lower the parasites from their FranXX and one dedicated to providing medical attention. Delphinium's and Genista's pilots were retrieved and lowered down with the lift. Goro remained on the lift as the truck positioned itself near Zephilla. The pod door opened, revealing Asuna cradling Kirito in her lap.

"Goro." mumbled Asuna.

"Here I'll help." Together Goro and Asuna got Kirito back on his feet, supporting him as they slowly walked him out of the pod and onto the lift. Once they were lowered to the surface, a medical team of adults arrived with a stretcher. They laid down Kirito and allowed them to take him into the "ambulance". However, they didn't leave, for they were expecting another patient. Goro reassures her, "He'll be fine. Strelizia should be done by now, so let's go join the others." She looked back at Kirito with a distressed expression.

Asuna sighs, "Ok..." The two trod back to join the rest of their squad as they awaited Strelizia's recovery.

Noticing Asuna and Goro, Ichigo walked over and apologizes, "Sorry I didn't notice Kirito's state. I should have been a better leader."

"It's not your fault. Kirito was just being Kirito." Asuna turns away, mumbling "Besides he's been through worse." It was barely audible but the Delphinium pair easily heard it.

"Strelizia saved us all again, huh?" said Kokoro.

"I never expected Mitsuru to be the one piloting it." said Futoshi. Zorome awkwardly turned to his partner who was sitting on the ground, hugging her knees.

"I'm sorry. That was my bad." apologized Zorome.

Miku states "Don't be stupid. It doesn't matter whose fault it was. We're partners, right?"

"Mi...Miku!" Zorome took her words to heart, getting excessively emotional, hiding his tears with his arm. "You're actually a nice girl!"

"Gross! Stop it!" said Miku. Their voices almost drown out Goro's as he spoke to his partner.

He asks "What's wrong? You're not acting like yourself."

"Sorry. I guess I got careless once I heard help was on its way." answered Ichigo. In her mind, she told herself, "Get your act together!" Soon the lift finally raised Strelizia back to the surface.

"Oh, they're back." said Futoshi. Everyone redirected their attention to the blue stained FranXX and shockingly through the blood, the FranXX was powered off. Like the other FranXX, Strelizia was removed from the lift. Hachi, Nana, Hiro, and Ikuno watched as the pod door opens with that hostile red pistil looking down. Zero Two waved at Hiro and he waved back.

_The hand she held out and the smile she offered to me alone came at a price._

Suddenly Hiro and Ikuno realized something off. Hiro fixated his horrified gaze at the pod, mumbling, "Mitsuru?"

Within the pod, Strelizia's temporary stamen remained in his chair. Battered and unconscious, appearing dead from being covered in his own blood.

_The rumors were true._

_Mitsuru's wretched state was all the proof I needed._

Zero Two looked back at Mitsuru in his sorrowful state. "Yeah, this guy really isn't cut out to be my darling." She turned back to look down at Hiro. "My darling is you and you alone.

_And I thought back to what she said before:_

_"I can get you out of here."_

* * *

**Boarding House Infirmary**

"How are they?" asked Ichigo. Everyone stood either inside the infirmary or overheard from the hallway. Asuna remained near Kirito who was in one of the beds, slowly nodding off to sleep. Nana and Hachi stood next to Mitsuru who was sedated at the moment.

"Mitsuru is stable at the moment. Luckily his first ride wasn't as serious as other stamens before, so he'll just need some rest for a day or two." informed Nana. Her news came as shock to all of Squad 13, realizing others have suffered far worse their first time. She turns to the dazed Zephilla stamen, "As for Kirito, he'll need a couple of days to fully recover, too."

Hachi notes, "However since Child Fever never occurs this soon, we're going to take some tests tomorrow."

"Now go on, dinner's ready." finished Nana. The parasites fled the room into the mess hall where another scrumptious meal awaits them.

* * *

**After the Boy's Bath**

Soon the sedative wore off and Mitsuru slowly began to shuffle around his bed. His experience in Strelizia came flooding back into haunt his mind. Flashes of the klaxosaur's blue flesh being torn apart. The sight of the blue blood covering the screen. Wavering images of the blue fading to red with himself coughing up blood. Fear overwhelmed him as he recalled the moment, being suffocated and abused.

"Stop..."

His voice quivered as a glimpse of her resurfaced, Zero Two looking back at him with a sadistic grin and her turquoise eyes piercing directing into his soul.

"Please..."

He begged at the nightmare as a bright red silhouette of her appears.

"Mitsuru..." The voice was faint, originating from his right.

In his mind, he was entangled in his chair as the red devil menacingly approached him.

"Mitsuru..." The voice up right in front of him. A hand lands on his shoulder.

"GET AWAY!" Mitsuru quickly sat up, swatting the hand away, and unexpectedly he actually hit something. He retracts as the aching pain returns from his sudden movements. He looks around the dim infirmary until the figure next to him turned on a light. He shields his eyes, shivering in fear until realizing there was someone actually in front of him. He lowered his arms and took another glance at the bright figure. Apparently it wasn't the demon, for they were wearing white and had chestnut-colored hair. Asuna had heard his mumbling as she walked by to check on the two. She lowered her hand, not expecting him to force her away. Mitsuru slowly processed what he did before looking away and pulling the curtain back to conceal himself. Asuna backed away, giving him space and headed towards the other patient who had also heard his outburst.

"You ok?" asked Kirito.

Asuna smiles, "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" She pulled up and sat in a chair beside him. "How are you feeling?"

He rasps "Honestly, kinda hungry."

"That can be solved." She leans a bit closer to whisper, "I could try to find or cook something for you two in the kitchen."

Kirito replies with a weak smile, "Sounds good." Asuna left her dazed partner, exiting the infirmary and silently rushing up the stairs towards her shared room. Ichigo and Ikuno were luckily in the washroom, brushing their teeth. Asuna climbed onto her top bunk to grab her page before scurrying off back down the stairs, unbeknownst to her, someone had observed her through the window from the outside. Curious of the area she'd entered, the observer entered the house and began to follow Asuna towards the restricted room. Asuna activates the timer, turning off the camera and allowing her freedom in the kitchen for an hour. After turning on the lights she searches the pantry, wondering if this society still uses soup cans.

"Why am I not surprised..." murmured Asuna. She stumbles upon a container filled with pasta and grabbed it. "Ok now to find some veggies to add with this." She sets the container on the counter before searching the fridge where it was stocked with fresh produce amongst other useful items. She grabbed a handful of ingredients enough for two servings and laid them out next to the pasta. She knelt down around the cabinets to find a pot small enough for everything. "Should I add some meat too?" She held two pots, debating on which to use. Meanwhile, another pistil had entered the room, surveying the unknown area.

"Hello?" Asuna flinched from the voice, hitting her head and dropping one of the pots. It made an echoey bang noise, startling both pistils. "Who's there?" asked the pistil. She approached in the direction of the sound, expecting a caretaker or some adult in the room until Asuna rose from the floor with both pots in hand. "Asuna?"

"Kokoro?" questioned Asuna. She was relieved that it was her, knowing how worse the situation would be if it was someone else.

"What are you doing here? We're not supposed to be back here," said Kokoro. Asuna placed the pots onto the counter and walked up to her.

She calmly admits, "I'm making something for Kirito and Mitsuru." She wonders how many times she had asked someone to keep a secret, "Can you-"

"Can I help you?" Asuna flinched at her sudden request.

"But why?"

"None of us have ever learned how to cook or been in a room like this before," Kokoro rubs her arm, "And I wanna try it out."

Asuna smiles, "Of course you can help. I'll help you with cutting but right now you can rinse those vegetables while I start boiling the water."

"Ok, got it." As told, Kokoro moved the vegetables to the sink as Asuna began filling up the smaller one of the two pots with water. She placed the pot onto the stove and turned it on before grabbing a pair of knives for herself and Kokoro. She laid them onto the counter along with two cutting boards. Kokoro moved the rinsed veggies back onto the counter.

"So what now?" asked Kokoro as she picked up one of the knives.

Asuna moved the carrots onto Kokoro's cutting board, "How about you start with these while I work on the cauliflower?" The two began prepping the ingredients, chopping some potatoes, leeks, and tomatoes along with it. Soon Asuna took over, explaining the steps to Kokoro as she moved around the area with ease, efficiently using the remaining 50 minutes she had.

* * *

**40 minutes later**

"Wanna try it, Kokoro?"

"Ok." Asuna scooped some of their vegetable soup into a small saucer, offering it to Kokoro. She examined the concoction, blowing on it before carefully consuming it. Kokoro beams from the taste, "It's really good Asuna."

She smiled from her approval, "Now let's hurry and get this ready." Asuna turned off the stove, allowing the soup to cool as she grabbed a pair of bowls and soup spoons. Kokoro searched the upper cabinets, finding the glasses before grabbing and filling two of them up with water. As Asuna evenly distributed the soup into two servings, Kokoro looked around for trays inside the pantry, stumbling upon a bread box instead. She snatched two loaves before leaving the pantry, finding Asuna who already found the trays before her.

"Could you get some bread plates too?" asked Kokoro. Immediately Asuna located the items, placing one each onto the trays before heading back to the sink with the pot. As she washed pot, Kokoro scanned the room. She was slightly surprised by how tidy the room was, considering this was the first time they cooked for themselves. She lingered on that last thought before turning back towards Asuna. "Hey, Asuna?" She finished washing the pot, grabbing a clean rag to wipe it dry.

"Yeah, what is it?"

Hesitant to ask, Kokoro mumbles, "Was this your first time cooking?" Asuna was practically waiting for this question, she had already discussed with Kirito the majority of scenarios that would happen while they were here.

She calmly responds, "First time trying out of the Garden."

Kokoro tilts her head, "But how? All of our meals were prepared for us before and now."

"One time I found a cookbook while wandering around the library. Somehow got myself lost but ended up in a kitchen instead of our solitary room."

"You didn't get in trouble by the caretakers?"

"At first, no. I kept sneaking back inside with the cookbook with me. Sadly one day I went there at the wrong time."

Kokoro was well enthralled with her memory, "What did they do?"

Asuna chuckles, "Luckily my punishment was light but I had a guard accompany me whenever I was out of our room. Poor Kirito had a guard of his own too."

Kokoro giggles, "I'm surprised you defied the adults too."

"Too? You don't seem like someone who would do the same."

Kokoro waved her hands in front of her, "I would never do that," She stopped remembering something, "But I think Hiro has."

"Huh..." mumbled Asuna.

Kokoro picked up one of the trays, wondering "Shouldn't we go now?" Asuna checked her page, realizing they only had less than 5 minutes until the camera turns back on.

"Oh yeah, let's go." blurts Asuna as she hurriedly grabbed the other tray. Kokoro backed up to push the door open, holding it open with her foot. Asuna followed through, briefly set down the tray onto the floor in the hall before going back inside to turn off the lights and resetting the page. She returned to the hallway, reclaiming the tray before following Kokoro down towards the Infirmary. Asuna sighs, being relieved that the hadn't encountered anyone else from their squad. The light between the two stamens was still on as she left it. "Check if Mitsuru's awake, I'll be with Kirito if you need me." Kokoro nods before walking up beside Mitsuru's bed, setting the tray onto the nightstand. She lifts her hand before setting it back down, hesitating to peek inside the curtain.

Instead, she calls out to him, "Mitsuru? It's me Kokoro." There was no response except for the sound of the sheets shuffling. "I thought you might be hungry so I brought you some soup." He remained soundless within the curtain. She leaned a bit closer, hearing shushed gasps between incoherent mumbles. "I'll leave it here for you. I hope you like it." Kokoro left her squadmate's side, walking around towards the other patient. The Zephilla pair had remained silent, hoping Mitsuru would start talking normally again.

"Don't worry. He's probably just asleep." reassured Asuna as she raised a spoonful of their vegetable spoon to Kirito's lips.

"Yeah," mumbled Kokoro. "I'm gonna go to sleep now. Good night."

"Night." rasps Kirito.

"Night Kokoro," said Asuna. As she turned around, Asuna adds, "If you want, I could teach you again sometime." Kokoro paused, smiling at the thought before heading back to her room.

* * *

"Thanks for the food, Asuna." grinned Kirito.

"Thanks, but Kokoro helped too." Kirito gave her a confused glance. Noticing his expression, she reassures him, "She actually wanted to help, so it's nothing to fret about." She recollects the plates onto the tray. "Go back to sleep. Wouldn't want to miss breakfast, right?"

Kirito chuckles, "I don't think I even have a choice."

She leaned down to kiss his forehead, "Night, Kirito~kun." She grabbed the tray before checking up on Mitsuru who hasn't touched his food yet. "It's probably cool by now, but take your time. I'll come back in the morning." Unsure if he heard her words, she headed back to the kitchen.

Once Asuna left, there was low rumble coming from within the curtain. Kirito heard the curtain slide open along with the clangs of the dishes with soft slurps following. He smirks, remaining silent as his temporary roommate finished his meal.

* * *

**Goro and now Kokoro...This came sooner than expected. Leave a review and guess who'll come next.**

**The sword skills are from a variety of games or from the wiki, so if I describe the skill, their descriptions might differ because of the difference in how they're displayed in the games. Like how in SAOHR, Double Circular from a player perspective looks like a dash motion where both swords thrust forward simultaneously while in SAOMD, it looks like the character dash forward to do thrust with one sword then the other consecutively. I might be wrong about the difference but that how the animation looks like to me.**

**This is probably the last update for this season. Assignments are catching up to me again and among other things. Stay safe, stay healthy, and expect an update (either the picture, a chapter, or both in the summer). :)**


	8. August 23rd

**Well, this episode was kinda hard to adapt Asuna and Kirito in but I tried. Plus it's really difficult to determine which of the council is speaking so if I'm wrong then I don't care.**

**Nothing tis mine.**

_**Underlined Italics are Hiro's thoughts**_

* * *

Chapter 7 **Flap Flap**

**August 23rd**

**APE Central HQ Council**

"Klaxosaur activity has increased lately, and large ones are reportedly showing up everywhere, which is unprecedented," announced Papa. Behind him played the recording of recent klaxosaur attacks.

"The Nines are dealing with them for now, but they still have other tasks to complete," comments Lemur.

"How long will we let Strelizia goof off?" questions Gorilla, crossing their arms. "Now that the special specimen's aptitude has been ascertained, we have no reason to leave it there any longer,"

"Indeed. It isn't wise to let her mix with tainted stamens any more," advised Marmoset.

"If we're recalling her, we'll have to ready a new stamen," noted Baboon.

The Vice-Chairman states "Not a problem. There are plenty of parasites who want to team up with her."

* * *

**Boarding House Infirmary**

Similarly to last night and practically every other hour, Mitsuru jolts awake by that exact nightmare. He gasps, taking heavy deep breaths as he massaged his neck before redirecting his right hand over his heart. He squeezed the fabric over his chest as the excruciating feeling of suffocation never seems to cease in his sleep. Heck, the longer his eyes stay shut, the more constricting the demon's bind becomes. Sunlight shines through a crack between the curtains as he began to shiver in the sheets.

"A demon..." quivered Mitsuru. He raised his arms onto his head, with his fingers digging into his olive, slick back hair. "She's a demon. You'd have to be insane to ride with her. She'll kill you."

Outside his concealed infirmary bed, Futoshi walked by the nightstand, retrieving the breakfast tray he had placed earlier. As for Kirito's tray, Asuna had done the same for him except, his tray was empty of food. As soon as Kirito had finished, he drifted back to sleep, taking a short nap before Nana and Hachi arrived for his testing. Futoshi paused to peek through the curtains, viewing Mitsuru in the same traumatized state as last time he'd seen him. Futoshi and Asuna walked out of the infirmary where Hiro, Ichigo, Kokoro, and Zorome lingered near, all rather concerned for their battered friend.

"How was he?" asked Ichigo.

Futoshi looked back towards Mitsuru with a sadden expression, "He hasn't touched his food at all." He looked down at the untouched meal, "Maybe I should eat it so it doesn't go to waste." Zorome leaned forward to peek into the room with his arms crossed behind his head.

"He's been like that ever since we got back," noted Zorome.

"You can't blame him though. Any near-death experience can be traumatizing, no matter how much time has passed," Asuna states. For the Zephilla pair, ever since they've first entered Aincrad, the sight of other players crystalize and vanish forever still haunts them. Moments, where they've almost become mere fragments of data, will eternally linger somewhere in the back of their minds. As she headed down the hall to return the empty tray, a certain black-haired stamen finally decides to march into the infirmary, pausing to block the sunlight from beaming through the curtain.

"Mitsuru...What happened with Zero Two?" Hiro's simple question instantly struck a nerve.

"What...happened?" He glared into Hiro's blue eyes before continuing with a quivering tone. "That girl tried to devour everything I have. My blood, my flesh, and my soul...All of it!" Hiro observed his internal breakdown in silence. "Everything was normal at first, but after a point, sh-she was out to kill me."

"Mitsuru..." Hiro tried to draw back the curtains, until suddenly Mitsuru lunged towards him, grabbing at his uniform collar.

"What's worse, she had a smile on her face!" Sweat dripped down Mitsuru's patched face. His traumatized hostile nature revived towards Hiro as that image of her sadistic grin refreshed into his mind. "She was smiling the entire time!" His outburst took a toll on his energy, making him hang his head low while his grip on Hiro loosens as he reverts back to a pitiful state.

"Mitsuru!" cried Kokoro from the hallway.

"Calm down, man!" Futoshi quickly handed the food tray to Zorome before rushing to aid his roommate.

"Ride with her again, and it'll happen to you." Mitsuru used his last bit of strength to look back up at Hiro, shouting "You'll end up like me, too. You're out of your mind if you think you're the sole exception!"

"Cut it out, Mitsuru!" cried Futoshi as he interferes, gently pulling Mitsuru away from Hiro. As expected, he gave out in his arms. "Look, just lie down." Those in the hall gathered around the infirmary, all concerned about his well being. Their blue-haired leader slowly approached a certain stamen. Not only was she concerned about Mitsuru.

"You okay?" asked Ichigo.

"Yeah," responds Hiro. He turns back towards Mitsuru with a distressed expression. Mitsuru, who just grabbed him moments ago was now lying helpless in his bed, gasping for air. Kirito reawakens from overhearing the commotion.

"What happened?" yawned Kirito, having short coughing fits afterward. He quickly sat up and grabbed the water from his nightstand before scanning the room, noticing everyone around Mitsuru's bed. Despite wanting to know, the curtain limited the view from his perspective. Kirito sighs until realizing Kokoro was standing at the end of his bed. He whispers, "Hey, Kokoro." She flinched upon hearing her name before turning her head towards Kirito who was waving her down to the chair beside his bed.

Understanding, she walked over and sat down, asking "Did you need something?"

"Not really, but what's wrong with Mitsuru?" wondered Kirito as he points at the closed curtain.

"He's still struggling again. Nothing changed from last night. He hasn't even touched his food either." informed Kokoro.

"Oh..." mumbled Kirito. He glances back and forth between the curtains and her dismayed expression before remembering something from last night. He placed his hand on her shoulder, "If it makes you feel better, he ate your soup last night."

Her expression lightens up, "Really?"

He smiles, "Yeah, he enjoyed it and maybe your cooking will make him feel better soon." After hearing his comment, Kokoro eased up completely, managing to crack a little smile.

"That's good to hear. Thanks, Kirito."

As she stood from her seat, Futoshi slid back the curtains and everyone began leaving the room, allowing Mitsuru to settle down back to sleep. Sadly, unknown to the rest, his never-ending mental torment resumed. Meanwhile, Ichigo noticed Kirito had woken up, eying him with a confused glance.

"Oh, Kirito. Shouldn't you get dressed already?" wondered Ichigo.

Kirito tilts his head, "Why? Aren't they just gonna test me here?"

"By tests, they mean analyzing you with scanners which aren't portable."

"Ah, I see then." Kirito threw the covers off, putting on his slippers. "Might as well get up then."

"You need any help?" asked Kokoro.

"T-Thanks, but I'm fine." stuttered Kirito. He followed everyone out of the infirmary and headed towards the stairwell. While slowly heading up, Zorome rushed down the steps, holding a ball over his head.

"I got the ball, let's head out!" yells Zorome. He jumped down, skipping steps, and somehow unacknowledged the fact that Kirito was in his path. Kirito looked up, realizing they were about to collide. Unexpectedly, he managed to evade Zorome by quickly positioning himself against the wall, almost hitting the clock beside him. "W-Woah!" gasped Zorome as he quickly lost his footing and his ball, falling back towards the rest of the stairs. Suddenly he heard a thud as someone had supported him from behind, preventing him from injuring himself. Zorome easily recovered back onto the stairs, turning back to see Asuna at the base of the steps.

"Looks like you're ok." sighed Asuna. Zorome stared speechless as she retrieved the ball.

"Good thing you're light," comments Kirito from behind.

Asuna walked up to Zorome with a smile as she handed over the item, "You should be careful next time."

"Oh ok." murmured Zorome, staring soundlessly at her as she retrieved a basket she had dropped before walking up the steps towards Kirito.

"So you're up. You know you could have called if you needed anything." reminded Asuna

"I know, but apparently I have to go somewhere for scanning," explained Kirito.

"Ah, so do you know where Goro is?"

"He probably in our room."

"Ok then let's go." Using her free hand, Asuna grabs Kirito's hand, heading towards the stamen wing together.

"Hey! You can't be on our side!" blurts Zorome, his face contorts with irritation as they left together hand in hand.

"It'll just be a little while," exclaimed Asuna.

Before another sound uttered out his mouth, Zorome oddly refrained from yelling another retort. Sure, he was bothered that a girl was trespassing their territory but, he couldn't help but wonder about their little gesture. For now, he shrugs off the thought, reverting back to his childish nature as he ran out into the courtyard.

* * *

Asuna lets go of Kirito to silently turn the knob, revealing Goro lounging around in his bed. His gaze was fixated at the window, observing Futoshi and Zorome kick around their ball while Futoshi somehow still held Mitsuru's breakfast tray. Asuna knocked on the open door, redirecting his attention.

"Hey, Asuna." waved Goro until he paused realizing Kirito trailing behind her, "Oh you're getting ready?"

"Yeah, don't mind me," states Kirito. He gently shut the door before proceeding to remove his shirt as Asuna sat down next to Goro with the picnic basket in her lap. From where she sat, she could faintly hear Zorome teasing Futoshi, calling him fat as usual, making her giggle at the irony.

"Umm, are you sure you should be here, Asuna?" questioned Goro, giving her a confused stare as Kirito continued to undress. Kirito and Asuna exchanged glances, unfazed by each other's presence. Goro snaps his fingers, "Oh wait, is it because of-"

"The Garden." finished Asuna."We shared a room so we're used to this." Somewhat understanding, Goro hesitantly nods as he looks back and forth between the pair. Once Kirito substituted his nightwear for the usual stamen uniform, he finally realized the familiar basket Asuna had.

He pondered in the desk chair, checking the page on the desk before asking, "So what's inside the basket?"

"Just something I made for him." smirks Asuna, removing 2 wrapped objects from the container. She handed one to Goro, "Though I'm surprised you wanted one this early."

"I'd rather have one now before we're sent on a mission like last time." stated Goro as he peels back the wrapper, revealing a familiar sandwich that made Kirito light up in anticipation. He bit down, chewing with a satisfied expression, "Not bad, Asuna." She smiled in response.

Kirito began to eagerly fidget in his chair, wondering, "So...can I have one?"

"Of course." Just before Kirito could grab his sandwich, Hiro bursts into the room.

"Hey, Kiri-" he paused, noticing Asuna in the room. "Oh, hi Asuna." he waves at her before continuing, "Anyways, Hachi and Nana are almost here."

Kirito tilts his head in confusion, "How do you know? I never got the alert yet." He double-checks the page in his hand.

"They sent it when I was outside." Hiro snatches the page from Kirito's grasp and exchanged it with the page from his pocket, explaining, "Sorry, I accidentally took your page instead of mine."

Kirito groans, "Aww, can't they wait a little while?" He pouts as heads towards the door, disappointed that he was unable to have one of Asuna's legendary sandwiches.

"Don't worry Kirito~kun, I'll save one for you when you get back," added Asuna. He grins in response before suddenly sneezing into his elbow. She continues, "Go already so you can rest and have one." He nods and marches off towards the main entrance. As Hiro was about to follow him out, Asuna rose from Goro's bed with one of the wrapped sandwiches in hand.

She placed her free hand on Hiro's shoulder, "Would you like one too?"

Hiro waves his hand away, "Thanks but no, I'm good. I have to go."

Asuna insists, "Are you sure? Besides I still have 3 more on hand."

"Yeah, go try one, Hiro." murmured Goro between his little bites.

Hiro sighs, "Ok, fine. Why not." He accepts the item, carelessly removing the wrapping before ripping a piece with his teeth. A few chews later and he reacted similarly to Goro. Hiro glances over at Asuna, wondering, "Aren't you gonna eat too?"

"Nah, I'll eat mine with Kirito." responds Asuna.

A few moments of enjoyment later, Goro finally realized something, "So where did you get the stuff for this?"

Asuna sighs, "I guess letting you two know would be fine." She looks away, softly mumbling to herself, "A couple of lies wouldn't hurt."

"Basically in our free time, Kirito and I explored around the house and all of Mistilteinn. However one night after dinner, we saw a caretaker walking away into the forest." She received perplexed stares from Hiro and Goro, for it was the first they've heard of a caretaker seen in Mistilteinn. "So we snuck back where she came from and found a secret room, but we couldn't find a way in until eventually, Kirito figured it out. Apparently it was a kitchen where all the food was and ever since we've been able to waltz in and sneak out with ingredients and make stuff like this," explained Asuna, gesturing with one of the sandwiches in her basket.

"Won't you get in trouble if you keep messing around in there?" wondered Goro, munching on the final scraps of his sandwich.

"Exactly. That's why I hid from Miku and Ichigo because knowing them, they're bound to tattle sometime soon." justified Asuna.

Hiro gulps the remains of his sandwich, "Your secrecy's paying off though." comments Hiro as he licks his fingers of sauce and crumbs. "It tastes like you've had a lot of time to experiment."

"T-Thanks, but it's not that hard. Just stacking some stuff together," states Asuna, scratching her cheek with a nervous chuckle.

"So only us three, plus Kirito, know about this?" questions Goro.

"Well, last night Kokoro accidentally found out when she saw me from outside. Luckily, she's fine with it and, I hope we limit this only within our little group." asserted Asuna.

"Of course. Technically we're even now," reassures Goro with a smile.

"Well, I'm gonna train now. Thanks for the food." said Hiro as he rose from his bed, returning to the door.

"Wait," Asuna stood up, stopping Hiro by placing her hand on his shoulder. "Would you like another for when you're done?" She pulls out another wrapped sandwich from her basket, noting "I could always make another."

Hiro waves in a refusing motion, "No thanks, I'll be back for lunch anyways."

"Ok then, see you later." waved Asuna.

As the younger black-haired stamen began his trek, his slightly older doppelganger had nearly arrived.

* * *

**5 minutes later**

**Admin Building**

Soon Kirito, Hachi, and Nana have reached the Admin Building. Although the walk there was stupendously serene, unfortunately for Kirito, he kept having the occasional irritating sneezing frenzies that would never come out. They entered the familiar structure, heading towards the elevator down the hall. Surprisingly, someone had taken the elevator before them, rising to their level. Kirito gazed curiously as Nana tapped her foot, expecting a troublesome newcomer and as the door slid open, her prediction was correct.

A lone pistil stood inside, gazing at the forest through the elevator glass. Once she turns around, she immediately sighs, "Here we go again."

"Zero Two..." mumbled Kirito.

"Stay there, you're going down with us." declared Nana.

Zero Two shrugs, appearing nonchalant as usual, "Too bad, guess I can't pay my darling a visit." She finally noticed her darling's double but soon immediately ignored his presence as the three joined her into the elevator. As the door slid shut, they began to descend. Zero Two distanced herself from the group, leaning on the railing. Kirito started wandering towards her but a few steps later, Nana paused him by placing her hand on his shoulder.

She whispered, "Stay behind us." He nods, abiding her order, and backed up to lean against the wall. Amber lights flashed by, briefly shining into the elevator and shortly, fully illuminated by the foreign city through the glass.

Zero Two views the lifeless Inner City as an attempt to ignore the repetitive warnings given by Hachi and Nana.

"Yes, klaxosaurs must be eliminated. But that doesn't mean you get free rein." reminded Hachi.

Nana points out, "You didn't need to use that much power to deal with those klaxosaurs. But because you did, we nearly lost one of our squad." She raised her right hand to her hip, "Are you listening to me?"

"I wanna leave. I feel like I'm gonna suffocate in here." murmured Zero Two, sounding bored as always.

"Why, you..." Before Nana could continue, Zero Two cuts her off.

"As long as I have my darling, I don't care about this place." She glares at Kirito, "And the rest are sure to die soon, anyway." Kirito shifted his gaze onto her, unexpectedly he brushes off her statement, smirking as he rolled his eyes.

"Zero Two," Nana noticed her glancing at Kirito. She briefly turned towards the stamen at her side and sighs before continuing with a stern tone. "Kirito, along with those other kids are your fellow FranXX pilots, even if you do belong to different units.

Zero Two scoffs, "Fellow pilots? Are you serious?" She rolls her eyes, redirecting her gaze back to the city. "Those weaklings are only a nuisance, no matter how many there are."

"Haven't heard that tone in awhile."

Everyone turned towards the black-haired stamen who was just chuckling softly in the corner, recalling memory fragments of the times he heard Asuna use that tone.

"Hmm?" grunts Zero Two.

Kirito pushes himself off the wall, commenting, "You know, if you sounded more cheerful, there's a chance that I would have thought you were Asuna."

She murmurs in confusion, "Asuna?"

He takes a couple of steps around Nana, stopping in front of Zero Two. "Like how Hiro is your darling," He placed his hand open on his chest, slyly stating "I'm Asuna's darling."

"Kirito..." warns Nana from behind.

Ignoring her call, he continues, "So you say that he only matters right?" Zero Two glared at him with a cold expression, opposing the small space between them. Respecting her personal bubble, he shrugs and turns away, treading back behind Nana, apologizing, "Sorry I spoke out of line,"

A few moments of confusion later, Hachi returned to the previous matter, "Anyways, they may be an irregular squad, but they're parasites who were carefully chosen for their high aptitude,"

Zero Two snapped out of her daze, commenting with hints of sarcasm, "Really? Those guys?"

"You only feel that way because _you_ are special," noted Hachi.

Immediately his statement struck a nerve. Zero Two frowns, staring at Hachi with a hostile look, "Are you talking about how I'm not human?"

"I'm talking about your abilities and nothing else," claimed Hachi. He adds "Also, it's highly unlikely that 016 will be given permission to pilot Strelizia."

"What do you mean?" questioned Zero Two.

Nana informs "We received word from HQ earlier. You'll be returning to the front lines."

Zero Two briefly flinches in concern before returning to a frown. She averted her glare towards Kirito, expecting him to appear somewhat pleased of her upcoming departure. However, instead, he seemed rather distraught by this announcement, as if he wanted her to remain at the plantation. Some of his squadmates would prefer her gone but Kirito actually did want her to stay, mainly for Hiro's sake.

The elevator finally arrived at their designated floor. The door slid open, allowing everyone inside to exit but as expected, a stubborn pistil desired to stay within and Kirito has yet to exit the elevator himself.

"Let's go, Kirito," ordered Nana from outside the elevator. Before Kirito left, he unhesitantly approaches Zero Two once more, causing her to scowl and turns away.

"Although you think us as a nuisance," In a soft voice, he states, "some of us never once considered you as different."

Zero Two flinches as her frown softens with curiosity. She fixated her glare towards him, "Just who are you?"

"Apparently to them I'm Code 096 but I've always referred myself as Kirito." He shrugs as he turns away, "Consider me as an enemy all you want or," he whips his head back over his shoulder, "I could be your comrade." He smiles before facing forward and exits the elevator, retreating behind Hachi and Nana.

"Zero Two, you come out too," demanded Nana. Zero Two sighs before complying, "You're not permitted to wander around Mistilteinn. Don't make me say this again."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Zero Two, immediately walking away down a random hall with her hands crossed behind her head, minding her own business.

"Why couldn't that girl be more obedient..." sighed Nana before adjusting her composure, "Let's go."

Nana, Hachi, and Kirito traveled through the ivory labyrinth before splitting up in opposite directions. Kirito was told to head down the hall towards a pair of doors where he would disrobe to his underwear before entering the scanner. He did as told then walked through a sliding door into an empty room.

"Stand in the center and close your eyes. We'll tell you when the process is completed," instructed Nana over the speaker. He approached and paused at the circle in the center as the neon-colored lasers activated.

Once the scan was complete, Kirito was then allowed to return to Mistilteinn. Hachi and Nana analyzed his data in the monitoring room, appearing both concerned and perplexed as they observed the holographic diagram.

"What is this?" questioned Hachi.

"How could have this entered his system?" wondered Nana with her stare fixated towards a discolored area in Kirito's bloodstream. She then reviewed the recordings from the magma plant. "He wasn't cut or injured during their first mission."

"Wait," Using the control panel, Hachi zooms into a certain region of the chart. "It appears that he was originally contaminated somewhere on his arm, but only recently it has circulated to his heart."

"If that's so, how was it transmitted?" queried Nana. She suddenly jolts, "Could his partner be the cause?"

Neither Hachi nor Nana knew much about Code 096 or Code 046, for they've only been informed of them by Dr. Franxx. According to him, they were a special pair of double-digits from an older group of parasites. From the database, they've found some files of Code 046 yet there was little to practically nothing of Code 096, almost as if he had never existed. Either way, both were technically blank slates to their knowledge.

"If so, then she must either have no problem to withstand it or soon will be contaminated herself," noted Hachi. He crosses his arms, "Until Code 096's state stabilizes, both shall be considered under this special category." Hachi drags their files around the holographic screen. Nana viewed the list where they were recently moved, pausing upon the one other file that was there before them. After glancing at the unfortunate stamen's data, she dismissed the holo panel.

* * *

**Two Hours Later**

**Outside Plantation 13**

Along the walkway next to the monorail, a mini yellow training bot jogged by. Within the bot was the only stamen who actually wanted to use them. Hiro had a firm grasp on the controls, as voices began to echo in his mind. First was their blue-haired leader.

_Assuming the partner-killing rumor is true, you could die if you ride with her two more times._

Then the voice of the olive-haired stamen that grabbed him.

_...but after a point, sh-she was out to kill me. _

_What's worse, she had a smile on her face!_

_She was smiling the entire time!_

Their warnings only frustrated him, making him further question his thoughts. Instantly, memories of the first time he had entered Strelizia flooded his mind.

"Damn it!" Quickly his mild jog escalated to a full sprint where each metal stomp echoes out to the abyssal land.

* * *

**Boarding House**

Hours ago when Kirito resumed his previously interrupted nap, Asuna gathered their dishes and returned to the kitchen for more experimenting. She set down the items on the floor and pulled out her page, deactivating the camera before peeking inside but at the moment, it no longer mattered. The lights were already on and she could hear the faint sound of knifes hitting cutting boards which sadly meant there were caretakers occupying the premises to cook lunch. Rather than lounge around the hallway, Asuna decided to investigate where they had entered from and carefully inspected the entire first floor. Since none of their squad have ever seen the caretakers walk through the house, she assumed they must have some special passageway into the building. However, the chances of finding anything of the sort were very slim. After a mere half an hour, Asuna ceased her search in the restricted areas and began circling around into the main entrance. The first thing she inspected were the stairs, specifically the grandfather clock sitting in the center.

"Huh, you're right. Where is Hiro?"

Asuna paused from hearing a faint voice. She turned towards the direction it came from before looking once more at the clock, mumbling to herself, "I doubt I'll find anything soon." Finally, she realized the entrance could actually be in the kitchen so instead of continuing her pointless search, she crept up the stairs, heading straight to the living room.

"He's out training again." said another voice from inside but Asuna had easily recognized it was Goro's voice.

She peeked inside, except for Mitsuru and Kirito, the entire Squad 13 were lounging around the three circular sofas. Lately, whenever anyone talks about Hiro, the atmosphere instantly becomes tense. Instead of awkwardly barging in, she decides to remain in the hall, eavesdropping as she hugs her knees while sitting against the wall.

"Hiro's training by himself again?" murmured Zorome with his legs crossed as he lounged on the couch. "If you leave him alone, he runs forever."

"He's surprisingly hardworking, isn't he? comments Futoshi as he took a bite into his ice cream bar, "That's not how I imagined he'd be."

"Wait, has he still not given up on riding with that girl?" remarked Miku.

"Well, that is presently the only way he can stay here." justified Goro, who was leaning up against the wall behind Miku, with his arms crossed. Miku turned towards him with an annoyed pout, wondering why Hiro would rather ride a demon like her.

"But doesn't that mean he'll have to leave if Zero Two does?" questioned Zorome.

Goro pauses before responding in a monotone voice, "That would be the natural assumption." The atmosphere grew dreary and everyone fell silent, all processing the possibility.

"Maybe he'd be better off going with her." softly comments Kokoro, "It'd be awful if he had to remain alone forever."

Miku started getting really ticked off from the whole idea, "Look, I don't know if you forgot or what," she looks straight into her friend's blue eyes, pointing towards her, "but she has klaxosaur blood. She's not human. Just look at what happened to Mitsuru."

"Hiro's well aware of that. He wants to ride with her anyway." The voice came from behind her, from their leader who leaned on the back of the couch.

"Ichigo?" murmured Goro.

She continued, "And he isn't the only one staring death in the face. If things don't change, we could find ourselves dead at any time, too." Ichigo's words silenced them once again. "Unless we can defeat klaxosaurs without Strelizia, we won't survive for long. We can't afford to mess up again." Everything she said was true, all of them were practically useless at the moment. After just trying to get one simple kill, they screwed up, powered off, and ran away.

"You messed up just as bad." quipped Miku.

"That's right. But it won't happen again." Ichigo turned around, planting her hands onto the back of the couch. "I need your help to ensure it doesn't. We're a team, aren't we?" Ichigo expected some kind of response but oddly everyone just froze.

Breaking the silence, Futoshi wondered out loud, "A team, huh?" He looked down at his popsicle stick before smiling, "Yeah, we are." The atmosphere immediately lightened up as everyone understood what she meant.

"Y-You don't have to tell me." stuttered Miku, trying to hide her flustered look despite obviously failing.

From behind, Goro smirks, "How very like a leader."

Zorome smirks from the confidence boost, affirming "Well, it's high time we showed Papa and them what we're made of."

"Yeah." nods Kokoro.

"And if we keep it up, we could make it big, too!" exclaimed Futoshi.

"Right on!" agreed Zorome. Amidst their exclaims, Ichigo approached Ikuno, startling her as she placed her hand on Ikuno's shoulder.

"We need you too, Ikuno. Mitsuru probably knows he can't mess up again, either. Back him up as his partner." reminded Ichigo with a smile, causing Ikuno to flinch as a light blush dusted on her cheeks.

She quietly nods, "Okay." As everyone reverted back to a bubbly nature, while her steps were muted by the overlapping conversations, Asuna finally decides to enter the room.

"Great job, Ichigo." The unexpected compliment came from behind. Ichigo immediately became defensive, for the voice alone startled her and reminded her of a certain horned devil. The blue-haired pistil quickly turns around, about to spit out a warning but instantly paused after realizing it was just Asuna.

Ichigo heavily sighs in relief, "Geez, Asuna. You scared me. I almost thought you were her."

Asuna laughs, "Sorry, I forgot everyone noticed that,"

"It's ok," Ichigo straightened her posture to face the older pistil, "and thanks." She suddenly jolts and pulls Asuna aside near the double doors, remembering something from their mission, "To be honest, you were more like a leader than me yesterday. Can you help me be a better leader?" Asuna flinched with confusion which made Ichigo rephrase, "There were a ton of klaxosaurs down there chasing us but despite that pressure, you were able to give orders like nothing serious was happening. So please tell me, how can you be that calm?"

Asuna sighs, "Well, Kirito and I already had some experience in battle before we came here, so we're familiar with these situations."

Ichigo tilts her head, "Aren't we the same age though? They wouldn't let anyone pilot till we're 14."

"Believe it or not, we're actually a couple of years older than this whole squad."

"Oh..." Ichigo mumbles before realizing a possible reason why they were assigned to their squad. Without thinking, she blurts "I'm sorry."

Puzzled by the abrupt apology, Asuna asks, "What do you need to be sorry for?"

"But," Ichigo hesitates before resuming, "Weren't you two part of another squad before?"

The way she spoke was soft however was somehow heard by everyone in the room, causing them to settle once more. Prior to Kirito and Asuna's arrival, everyone had known the basics of each other's childhood. Being born in the same year meant they were placed in the same section, plus raised in a uniform fashion greatly contributed to their familiarity so they never bothered to question each other's past.

Ichigo then apologizes again, "I shouldn't have brought it up, I-"

Asuna placed both her hands on Ichigo's shoulders, "No, it's ok. I'm fine with sharing." It took a bit for Asuna to understand what she meant but now, she decides its best to build more trust with the squad. She walked away to sit upon one of the circular couches, gaining everyone's attention. "In a way, we were." Her response immediately filled Ichigo with regret, noticing this, Asuna proceeds her lies with a more cheerful tone, "The adults decided to temporarily separate us so we can help our juniors."

"I didn't know the adults plan that," comments Futoshi.

Asuna stutters, "Y-Yeah, this is the first time they've done this."

Goro then sat down near Miku, pointing out "Do you know how long they mean by 'temporarily'?"

Her first thought was to say a year since that's what Kikuoka said, but she preferred to refrain, shaking her head, "No, I don't."

"But you two will leave us one day, won't you?" wondered Kokoro, feeling distraught by this new information.

Asuna's expression then shifts to one with sadness, "Someday, yes, but we enjoy being here with all of you. Especially since this squad is most like the one I was in not long ago."

"How so?" questioned Zorome.

Asuna delayed, Kirito and herself haven't prepared a cover story for the possibility of them being questioned about past squads. Then again, altered truths oftentimes work better than their planned lies. Suddenly a special small group she had bonded with not long ago popped up in her thoughts, without reasoning, they've become her so-called "previous squad".

"Like you guys, we never used our code numbers, they had their own names but self-named though." Asuna looks around the room as visions of her friends, from the Sleeping Knights, appear over most of the squad members, "Actually some of you remind me of them." She then points to some of her squadmates, "Goro is like Tecchi, Miku is like Nori, Futoshi is like Talken, Zorome is like Jun, Kokoro is like Siune-"

"Wait, wait," Miku interjects with confusion, "So they didn't use their codes either?"

"Nope, many of us didn't stick to our code number," Abruptly, all the memories of months ago resurfaced, specifically those with the Sleeping Knights' leader. "but my closest friend in that squad was practically bound to the code." Asuna puts on a sad smile as her eyes slowly began to water. "Yuuki was like a little sister to me."

"Was?" mumbled Ikuno.

Asuna's eyes widen from her slip up, quickly averting her gaze to her closed page. Although well-concealed, Ichigo managed to spot the lone tear trail down from her hazel eyes.

Immediately she attempts to change the subject, "I-"

"If your squad is like that, I wonder if Squad 26 are the same." Thankfully, Goro had already caught on to the touchy subject and beat her to it, urging another topic.

"You think so?" wondered Futoshi.

Zorome scoffs, "Either way, I bet they're no match for us." He stood up with his hand on his hips and joyfully crowed, "After all, they don't have an ace like me!"

"Yeah...what would we do without you?" Miku deadpanned, rolling her eyes before mumbling to herself, "God I hope their squad's boys are better than ours."

Thanks to Goro, a somewhat lively mood returned along with more endless remarks between the Argentea pair. After her dreary moment passed, Asuna slowly reverts to normal and softly giggles at the two, rubbing her eyes before subconsciously opening her page. Apparently, it was 50 minutes till lunch, causing her to recall her original intent. Without a word, she rose from her seat and headed towards the hall, yet her soundless retreat was still noticed by their leader. Wanting to ensure she was fine, Ichigo quickly caught up to her before the stairs.

"Hey, you ok?"

Asuna paused after walking down one step, "Yeah, I'm alright." She turns back to face Ichigo's olive-green eyes, reassuring her, "I'm just gonna take a walk outside."

From being one of the few to perceive discussion's unfortunate turn, Ichigo concludes its best to lay off for the sake of their morale. "Oh, see you later then." She simply waved at her with no other questions before returning to the living room.

* * *

**FranXX Parking Dock**

Alarms began to blare as an automated voice announces,

"To prepare for the kissing with Plantation 26, Plantation 13 will switch to mobile setup."

After hours of aimlessly wandering around the Plantation, a certain pistil pauses in front of the massive metal stands.

"I repeat: To prepare for the kissing with Plantation 26, Plantation 13 will switch to mobile setup."

Zero Two blankly examines her personalized FranXX, Strelizia. The red and white iron maiden stood lifeless next to the rest of Squad 13's FranXX with its magma spear mounted nearby. As she gazed above, faint steps echo nearby, belonging to the only stamen outside of the birdcage. Once Hiro noticed Zero Two's presence, he refrains from moving any further. The abrupt glimpse at her evoked thoughts of Mitsuru and the stamen that day of the ceremony. The memories of both of them, covered in their own blood gave him chills.

Suddenly, his fears made him instinctively step back and hastily hide by pressing himself against the wall. Unbeknownst to him, Zero Two glanced at his direction, appearing like she seemed to notice his presence. Rather than inspect, she simply walks away. As her steps grew softer, Hiro briefly peeked from his meager hiding place before returning into the shadows.

_Why am I hiding from her?_

* * *

**Boarding House**

Asuna swiftly headed outside, hiding behind a nearby array of shrubs before staring directly through the windows of the mess hall.

"Probably marking down their schedule would be better." She pulls out her page and opened her reminders, marking down the time the caretakers were in the kitchen earlier before beginning her little stakeout.

Luckily she had to blend with the vegetation for only 20 minutes. Half an hour before their scheduled lunch, caretakers entered from an unknown direction and began setting up the tables. Unfortunately, Asuna had hidden where she was unable to perceive where they've entered. The option of approach came to mind but because of the broad daylight along with her bright hair color, she would immediately be detected the moment she abandons the safety of the forest's leafy shadow. Before she knew it, the mess hall was vacant of the caretakers, leaving only the appetizing food in the room.

Asuna sighs, "I guess I'll have to try again before dinner." She rose from her hiding place, "At least I can get inside the kitchen now." She hurriedly entered through the front entrance, heading towards the restricted bedrooms where she stowed away the dishes from earlier. The moment she approached the double doors of the back hallway, Miku and Kokoro had just opened the courtyard door, evading from Zorome and Futoshi's game.

"I swear if that ball ever hits me, there's no doubt that I'm not gonna kick it straight back at his face," grumbled Miku. Kokoro could only listen to her friend's endless complaints until noticing Asuna's presence.

"Hi, Asuna, what are you doing?" wondered Kokoro.

"Oh, um I was just gonna find everyone since lunch is ready." nervously sputtered Asuna as she scratched behind her head.

"Finally, a reason for them to stop." sighed Miku. She turned around and opened the courtyard door, yelling, "Hey, you two!" Immediately she obtained Zorome's attention, causing him to refrain from juggling the ball with his feet.

"What is it? You gonna try to stop us?" sneered Zorome.

"If you wanna keep playing, fine. We'll have lunch without you," emphasized Miku as she strolled back inside.

"Huh? Wait for us!" groaned Futoshi who was followed by a frustrated Zorome.

The group trods towards the mess hall but unexpectedly were greeted by Hiro, who had just finished his morning training. Zorome briefly glares at the black-haired stamen, letting out a hmph before marching into the mess hall, followed by Futoshi and Miku, who was dragging Kokoro behind her. Asuna gave the group a disapproving stare before returning to Hiro, who was still contemplating his recent encounter with Zero Two.

Noticing his mood, she asked, "You doing ok?"

"Yeah, just tired..." mumbled Hiro, trying to force a weak smile. He turns away and sighs, knowing Asuna could easily see his remorseful expression. Before Asuna could utter a word, someone behind her interferes.

"Cheer up, Hiro." The reassuring voice belonged to Kirito who moved beside Hiro, patting him on the back. "I don't know what's going on but it shouldn't be something to lose your appetite over, so let's eat." Hiro just silently nods before retreating into the mess hall.

"Well someone looks better," comments Asuna.

"Yeah, my fever's starting to settle down, but then again their medication is better in this century so I'm not surprised," said Kirito.

"True," she then returns to their previous matter, "What do you think happened during his training session?" queried Asuna as Goro, Ichigo, and Ikuno stepped down the stairs.

Not wanting to alert a certain leader, Kirito whispers, "It's obviously something about Zero Two but I think he found out she was leaving soon."

Asuna gasps, "What?!" Her outburst gained Ichigo's attention, causing her to pause in her tracks.

She wonders "Oh Kirito, are you gonna join us for lunch, too?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna sit at the third table though," stated Kirito.

"Ok, but aren't you two coming inside?" questioned Ichigo as Goro opened the door.

Asuna smiles, "Yeah, in a bit but we'll be there." She waves them off before suddenly pulling Kirito aside, quietly asking "When did you find out?"

"Zero Two was in the elevator with us. Nana was scolding her but then said the higher-ups want Zero Two moved to the front lines," informed Kirito in a whispering tone. He waits until the trio enters the mess hall. Once the door closed shut, he continued in a normal tone, "Do you think Hiro might leave with her?"

"I doubt they'll allow him to," Asuna holds Kirito's hand as they walked towards the door, "Then again, who knows what Zero Two do."

* * *

**After Lunch**

Everyone began to clear out of the mess hall, resuming their activities from earlier. Wanting to clear his mind, Hiro decides to take an afternoon bath instead. He flips the sign to 'Boys' Bathing' before walking inside. He disrobes and throws his stamen uniform into the hamper then instantly found a set of newly washed clothes prepared for him in one of the lockers. After using the showerhead, the bath finished filling up, allowing him to ease into the water. On contact, he felt a slight sense of relief. A few minutes later, he fully submerged himself underwater, starting to think about the one thing that truly made him a parasite.

_Two more times..._

Hiro sits up and looked up at the ceiling.

"I..." His thought was interrupted by another voice.

"There you are." The speaker sounded feminine, causing him to curiously tilt his head back further to face the speaker, the red-horned pistil. It took him a brief moment to realize the situation.

"W-Wait, why are you here?" Hiro stuttered as he started to avoid her, yet he was currently limited to the bath. Unfortunately for him, his restriction didn't faze Zero Two. She forcefully trudged through the water, slamming her hand against the wall as she leaned towards her flustered darling.

His embarrassment visibly showed on his cheeks, "G-Give me some space here!" She ignored his plea and got closer, placing her hands on his shoulders with a mischievous look in her eye.

"Hey, darling. Run away with me." cooed Zero Two as she ran her finger along his bare skin before moving her hands up to cup his face. "Forget about those weaklings. As long as you're with me, nothing else matters. You're the only one who can be my partner.

She hangs her head down, allowing Hiro to fully see her ruby-colored horns. The sight elevated his heart rate from a profound sense of fear growing. He gulps from the unsettling tension, agitating the pistil in front of him.

"Or are you just like everyone else?" She raised her head to shoot a menacing glare straight into his blue eyes. "Do you think I'm a monster, too?"

Hiro gasps, about to say something but couldn't utter a word as an alarm, newly used, began to blare all over Mistilteinn.

"Klaxosaur?!"

Due to the energy emitted by the mobile kissing set up, a worm- type klaxosaur began violently slithering towards the plantation. As everyone began rushing towards the admin building, a certain stamen in the infirmary struggled to rise out of bed.

"Shit..." cursed Mitsuru. He shuffled his legs off the mattress and grasps the metal frame for support, trying his best to stand. Kirito, Asuna, and Ikuno began heading towards the infirmary to check on Mitsuru. He faces his visitors with a pained expression, "I can...I can..." His grip on his shirt tightens as his legs give out.

"Can you move?" plainly asked Ikuno.

"I don't think you should pilot." Asuna insists while gesturing towards all of his bandages.

"This...is nothing." heaved Mitsuru who finally managed to take a step but immediately start to tremble.

"Grab on to me," said Ikuno. Kirito watched from behind her, ready to assist her whenever Mitsuru decides to accept their help.

"I don't need to." Mitsuru grumbled while he took a few steps towards the group but then lost his footing before he could touch the door. Ikuno catches his frail figure and supported his left side with Kirito joining her on his right.

"You're such an awkward boy." sighed Ikuno as she positioned his arm over her shoulders.

Asuna opened the front door, allowing the group to slowly follow the rest of their squad.

* * *

**FranXX Parking Dock**

"We haven't identified the klaxosaur's class. We've only detected one as of now but there may be more in hiding. Be careful." warned Hachi through an all unit voice panel.

"Roger that!"

Hachi commands, "All FranXX, commence connecting!"

Everyone was suited up and ready to power up their FranXX but oddly Kirito and Asuna were held back from entering Zephilla. They were forced to remain in the briefing room, only able to overlook the startup process from the upper railings through the window.

"Why are we excluded from the mission?" Kirito questioned their red-haired caretaker who just examined their squad's connection stats.

"This is just a safety precaution only for today," Nana informs as she opens a diagram of Kirito's bloodstream. Wanting to avoid a panic, Nana attempts to sugarcoat her statement, "Your sudden fever was caused by your tainted blood, but don't worry. After a day or two, your body will adapt and withstand it." She then mumbles under her breath, "Hopefully."

"Oh..." murmured Asuna. Untold to them, many other parasites have succumbed to the exact same infection. Though, unlike the rest, Kirito was never contaminated by the direct source. Nana glanced at Asuna who stood next to Kirito while holding his hand, before returning to the holographic screen.

"But compared to the rest, you two have shown great skill on your first mission." Nana praised, hoping to lighten the mood. "Your squad still needs to hone their individual skills, so they can keep up next time."

Meanwhile, in Chlorophytum, Mitsuru mutters, " I sure hope you can connect this time."

Ikuno looks back at him while the controls extend from her thighs, "I get it. I'll be fine now." She placed her hand on her shoulder as the helmet lowers over her forehead.

Mitsuru grabs the controls, powering up the lights to the helmet's monitor. The P-Factor and N-Factor stabilized in the median range, allowing the neon x's to clear and reveal Chlorophytum's singular teal eye.

Minutes later, Delphinium, Argentea, Genista, and Chlorophytum blasted themselves out of the plantation, immense dust trails forming behind as they headed towards the slithering klaxosaur.

"We'll hold it off here," states Ichigo. With thrusters near max power, the four units shortened the distance between them and the klaxosaur.

Back in the briefing room, Kirito and Asuna redirect their attention to the door, hearing it slide open with the sound of heels clacking after. Hiro and Zero Two rushed inside towards Nana, both prepared with their pilot suits on, waiting to be deployed.

"Is that the only enemy?" asked Hiro.

"For now, yes." responded Nana. She glances back at the current Strelizia pair, particularly regarding their wardrobe. "Changing into your suits won't help. We're not deploying Strelizia."

"Hey, I didn't say anything." Zero Two noted while casually crossing her arms behind her head. Hiro looks over his shoulder, finally noticing the Zephilla pair behind them.

"Why aren't you two with the others?" wondered Hiro.

Kirito plops himself onto the steps, informing, "Pretty much it's a safety precaution for us where I'm not allowed to pilot for a day."

"Oh." mumbled Hiro.

As the mission undergoes, a massive aircraft had just landed at the plantation with squadrons of armed troops marching down and lining up along the ramp. Most of them oversaw the other adults as they prepared their special cargo while the rest heads inside the inner complex, all tasked to retrieve and escort a troublesome pilot.

* * *

**Outside the Plantation**

The klaxosaur slithers out of the dust cloud and began to attack, specifically charging towards the leader unit. Delphinium quickly evades, gliding backward through the jagged, stone walls created when the razor head klaxosaur resurfaced. Once Delphinium passed by, Genista and Chlorophytum emerged from behind the walls, grabbing onto the klaxosaur's plated skin. From above, Argentea jumps down on top and used its momentum to pierce its magma claws inside, causing the klaxosaur to flail upward. Delphinium flew up and joins the group with its twin spears stabbed into an exposed area.

"One, two..."

At Ichigo's mark, all units attacked, injecting magma through the skin using their blades and bullets. Shortly, the klaxosaur briefly collapses, creating a thunderous boom as its massive body collides with the rocky ground.

"Did we get it?" wondered Ikuno as some of the dust clears.

"No, I don't think so. We probably missed the core." speculated Goro.

Miku adds, "We can't kill it unless we find its core. Let's get-" Abruptly from the mist behind, another klaxosaur snatched Argentea, lifting them high in the air.

"There was another one?" gasps Ikuno.

"We have to save them!" shouts Kokoro as Genista and Chlorophytum glides towards the new foe. Unexpectedly, the new klaxosaurs fired rounds of black crystals that unfolded on contact and pinned all units to the rocky surface.

"Damn..." muttered Ichigo. Luckily for Delphinium, the crystal was unable to stab itself into the ground and allowed the FranXX to easily push the item off before rushing to assist her comrades. "Just wait!" After a few steps, the ground soon acted like quicksand and the trio spiraled in the circular pit.

"From below?" Ikuno questioned as the first klaxosaur rose above the surface with the three FranXX caught on top.

* * *

**Briefing Room**

Nana along with the Streilizia and Zephilia pairs spectated their encounter on the holographic screen.

"See? We really should go too, don't you think?" playfully suggested Zero Two.

Nana reprimands, "Out of the question. I'd rather send Zephilia if I could."

Zero Two whips her head away, "Tch. Spoilsport." Her expression darkens once she glanced at a different panel. "By the way, who just landed in that transport plane?" Nana remained silent while on cue, her question was answered when the alarm went off by the door. A group of guards marched inside one by one and surrounded the red pistil with their guns lowered but ready to fire if necessary.

"Code 002. You're coming with us." Hiro scanned the room with confusion, unlike Kirito and Asuna who had expected their arrival hours ago.

Nana announces "You're escorts are here. Do as they say. Zero Two, you will return to the front lines. By yourself, obviously."

Hiro stammers, "Wait, what do you-"

"Hurry. We want to leave while the FranXX are keeping the klaxosaur occupied." One guard carelessly approached her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Zero Two scowled as she forcefully knocked the guard away, landing almost past the rails to the observation floor. Asuna jolts from her shocking feat of strength, never expecting a parasite to ever have the strength or even the thought of engaging with the guards.

"Hey!" The other guards instinctively hold the trigger, causing multiple laser prediction lines to mark her body.

"What's all this about, Zero Two?" questioned Hiro who was the odd one out in this situation.

"Darling, looks like time's up." admits Zero Two as she slowly approached Hiro while being followed by the red lasers. She raised her hand her to caress his face, "I felt like things could work out with you, too. I wanted to be with you. But this is goodbye." She lowers her head and slightly leans forwards, bumping her ruby horns over his eyes then backed away from him.

"Ow..." Hiro softly yelped, raising his hand to his forehead. "Zero Two?"

She faced him one last time, "Bye-bye." When they locked eyes, for once, he could see a glimpse of sorrow through her expressionless face.

"Come on." ordered one guard. Only the sound of Zero Two and her escorts' footsteps could be heard, leaving a moment of silence when they'd left the room.

"Hiro..." He turned towards Nana as she continued, "This was an order from Papa and the rest."

After a brief pause, Hiro asks, "Is it true that Zero Two is a partner killer?"

Nana grits her teeth, "She's a special pistil who must keep fighting on the front lines for them. That will also take its toll on the stamen who becomes her partner. Keep this in mind. She's not like you normal children."

"You mean she isn't human?" queried Hiro.

"Simply put, yes."

_Is that how it is?_

The moments he had with her flooded in his mind.

_You weren't frightened by my horns._

The first time they met.

_Do you think I'm a monster, too?_

Earlier in the bath.

_I wanted to be with you. _

And now.

_Bye-bye._

_No! Zero Two is just like us!_

Kirito and Asuna observed Hiro's behavior before facing each other again.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" whispered Kirito.

Asuna sighs, "Yeah, besides we have to help our squad anyway that we can." She released Kirito's hand and stood from the steps, stating, "Nana, Zero Two's right, we need to be out there with everyone else." Hiro happily turned to Asuna, assuming she'll help him convince Nana and get him piloting.

Nana sighs, "For the last time, I'm not permitting Strelizia or Kirito to participate in this sortie."

"Then allow Hiro to pilot Zephilia with me." Her proposal shocked them both, leaving Hiro speechless and Nana debating in her thoughts. "You won't allow our partners to pilot and since we're available, it would make sense to create a temporary pair for today. Besides, we wouldn't want that klaxosaur to get any closer."

Nana cupped her chin as she faced the monitor, watching Squad 13's pitiful attempts at finding the core. She murmurs to herself, "If she is the source, one ride may harm him but then again, they might be compatible if she is." Nana sighs and turned to face the two parasites. "Very well, you've convinced me but you two will have to obtain a sustainable connection."

Asuna nods, "Of course." She then walked up to Hiro and held his hand, "Let's go, Hiro."

"B-But," sputtered Hiro.

Troubled by the situation, Hiro nervously looks over his shoulder toward Kirito, expecting some protest or sign of disapproval but instead was given a wink followed by a smirk. He turns back to Asuna who tugged his arm and gave a similar expression. Realizing they were up to something, Hiro silently complies and follows Asuna into the hallway. Once the door slid shut behind him, before he could question her intention, Asuna tightened her grip and began to sprint down the corridor. Hiro gasps, tripping on his feet until he eventually matched his speed with hers.

"So I'm guessing we're not going to Zephilia?" said Hiro.

"Yup," Asuna briefly glanced back at Hiro, "You don't want to lose her, right?" He didn't respond, instead, he let go of her hand and accelerated his pace.

_Zero Two!_

Zero Two paused and looked back from where she came, despite them being well behind, she felt as if heard his call.

"What is it?" questioned the guard behind her, raising his gun with his finger hovering over the trigger.

In a monotone voice, she plainly responds, "Nothing." Moments later, she had already passed a point where she knew parasites couldn't cross. Unknown to Hiro and Asuna, they were about to encounter this section as well.

"Zero Two!" Hiro yelled as he crashed against the access gate, causing it to flash red and change the text to 'No Entry'. He pounded his fists against the holo gate, blurring the warning as Asuna finally caught up to him. She examined the gate, realizing they're unable to pass with their authority level. He quickly scanned the area ahead, immediately spotting someone in bright red on an upper level, immediately recognizing them as Zero Two.

He pleads, "Wait up, Zero Two!" Frustrated that his banging is doing nothing, he hissed "Damn it!" He slammed his entire body against the gate, triggering an alarm with his excess force. He ceased his attempts and resorts to verbally expressing instead.

"Hear me out! I...I was afraid of riding with you. I'm probably still afraid of it. But that's not because you aren't human. It's because I lacked the resolve!" Her movement hasn't faltered even once yet. "When we first met, I couldn't take my eyes off you. You were confident, held your head high, and were ready to fight the klaxosaurs even when hurt! And I found that beautiful!"

Hiro clenched his fist and looked down as Zero Two was nearby out of his view, "I'd been moping around, but I felt like I could fly with you. I realized that I never really cared about riding the FranXX. I wanted to ride with you! So please don't go, Zero Two!" He practically screeched that last part, but luckily his words finally reached her, causing her grin and stop in her tracks.

Asuna had stayed silent during his whole confession, she was slightly surprised but proud of Hiro. She approached him, wanting to comfort him but paused after hearing the guard's pained groans. Hiro and Asuna watched as Zero Two jumped off of one guard with their gun in her hands. She lands on the escalator's walls, running down while firing rounds of bullets at the glass section above the access gate. The glass cracks and she threw away the gun before effortlessly leaping off the wall, performing a flip midair, and shattered through the cracked glass with her heels first. Asuna stumbles back away from the shards and Hiro raised their arms to protect himself while Zero Two stuck another perfect landing.

"Zero Two..." Hiro was cut off as Zero Two swiftly appeared in front of him.

With a small smile, Zero Two notes, "Nobody's ever said such embarrassing things to me before.

While exposing faint blush, Hiro sheepishly averts his gaze, "I-It's a first for me, too."

Zero Two leans closer and smirks, "You wanna ride me, huh?"

Hiro flinches before nodding, "I'll do it."

She raised her hand up to her ear, "Let me hear it one more time."

He briefly hesitates then shouts, "Let me...Let me ride in Strelizia again!" His voice echoed throughout the entire complex, making Zero Two burst with joy. She happily whips her head back to Asuna who stood speechless against the wall.

"Thank you," Zero Two's words were soft to hear but Asuna easily understood and silently nods with a smile in response. Zero Two repositions Hiro to mirror herself, "Now _that's_ my darling!" Together they charged towards the gate, making it flash green and approve their entry. "Run for it!" Thanks to Zero Two's S-class ID, they easily charged through the following access gates while alerting all nearby guards.

Asuna slowly approached the access gate, watching the two fade from her view. She mumbled, "Together they can cross." She raised her hand to touch the holo gate, "I wonder where else a special parasite like her can go." Suddenly the gate's usual grayish color flashed green, allowing her hand to phase through.

"Wait, what?" Asuna pulls her arm back, hesitating before fully walking through the gate, making it flash green again. Perplexed, she tried grabbing her page to check her ID, but after realizing she left it in the locker room, she tried a different method. With her right hand, she swipes down in the air and mimicked the same motion for opening a menu window in other virtual worlds but of course, nothing happened. She then balled up her hand before opening it, apparently, that gesture caused a small orange ID window to flash from her wrist. Shockingly she hadn't realized her ID rank was oddly high for normal parasites.

"Since when was I an S-class?"

* * *

**Meanwhile with Hiro and Zero Two**

The two had arrived at the aircraft hangar where Strelizia was already packed inside by the adults. They stomped up the ramp, gaining the attention of all the guards yet they all froze where they stood when Zero Two jumped kicked one of them down.

Finally, they took action and chased them down, "Hold it!"

Unfortunately for them, the pair already had reached the top and entered the pod. Hiro sat upon the stamen's chair as Zero Two locked herself on the pistil platform. The moment the controls unfolds from her suit, a video call began with Nana's face appearing on a panel. After receiving reports and an explanation from Kirito, she finally understood their ruse.

"Both of you, get out of there now!" demanded Nana.

"I'm going out with my darling." protested Zero Two.

"You are not getting permis-" Zero Two pressed a button and dismissed the call before placing her hand back in the slot. She curiously looks over her shoulder at Hiro whose grasp on the controls had suddenly tightened.

She asks, "What's up, darling?"

"Will I really be able to pilot?" doubted Hiro.

"Of course you can do this." She smiles, "We can do this. Ready?"

After recollecting his thoughts, Hiro eased up and sighs, "Yeah."

_It'll be all right._

_If I'm with Zero Two, I can do this!_

Soon that familiar sensation sparks again and Strelizia was reborn. Every adult fled from the hangar as the iron maiden broke from its restraints, causing smoke to puff out as it ripped down the aircraft walls before climbing out.

"Let's fly darling!" A constant flame erupts from the maiden's thrusters, allowing the duo to take flight through the air like a shooting star over the apocalyptic terrain.

Hiro gazed in awe at the blue skies, "I did it..." he mumbled then cries with joy, "I'm piloting a FranXX!"

On a panel to his right, Strelizia's face appeared, "That's right. This is what you're capable of."

His eyes sparkle as they soared through the clouds, "I feel myself going deeper inside you. I can't tell where I end and where you begin anymore. But I love it!"

"I'm feeling it, too. We're a perfect fit, huh? But there's more to come." In a flash, Hiro increased their power, allowing them to burst at full speed towards their squad.

Currently, within the dust clouds, Genista, Cholophytum, and Delphinium were still being constricted by the first klaxosaur.

"Shit!" Ichigo cursed as Delphinium continued its pointless attempts of freeing itself from its bind. Shortly, she redirects her attention as another trail of dust rapidly approached them. Blurs of red and white sped by and struck the klaxosaurs with full force, immediately making it release all four FranXX. Shocked, Ichigo gasps, "Strelizia?!" As Argentea tumbled out of its clutches, the other three cool-colored stared speechlessly at the new arrival.

"Is that Hiro?" wondered Goro.

"Are you serious?" said Futoshi as Strelizia protected Argentea from the second klaxosaur, maintaining its stance with its spear locked in the klaxosaur's mouth.

"Let me handle this," stated Hiro.

Ichigo protests, "NO! We can't afford to rely on Strelizia this time!"

"Even I'm...I'm part of the team, too." Everyone took a moment to process Hiro's words.

After her internal debate, Ichigo finally spoke, "All right, Hiro. You deal with that. We're going to focus on this one." As Squad 13 dealt with the razor head klaxosaur, the other klaxosaur fired multiple crystals at Strelizia.

Using its spear, they effortlessly blocked every single projectile before hurling the weapon at the klaxosaur's mouth. It snapped at the weapon but was instantly pulled to the ground and with just the press of a button, the spear injected magma into its throat, destroying its plated skin while causing blue blood to explode out in all directions but it didn't stop wriggling.

"That didn't feel right," muttered Zero Two.

"Where's the core?" questioned Hiro. The klaxosaur clasped its mouth and raised Strelizia into the air until the FranXX used a bit of its fuel to gyrate itself out. Rather than counter-attack, the klaxosaur then proceeds to retreat underground.

"Oh, no, you don't!" growled Zero Two as Strelizia accelerates and followed it beneath the surface. The ground rumbled, splitting open as the FranXX grabbed its blue skeleton, and with a battle cry, they slammed it on the rocky surface. As a result, while the klaxosaur's entire body was ripped from below, simultaneously the razor head klaxosaur recoils up in Strelizia's direction.

Dumbfounded, Hiro gasped, "What the..." They all inspected the klaxosaur's extensive size, realizing the two klaxosaurs

"No way...it was all part of one klaxosaur?" frets Zorome.

"If it's that long, it won't be easy to look for the core!" whined Futoshi.

"But we'll still have to find it!" Goro added as the klaxosaur began thrashed around repeatedly in a wave-like motion, knocking all four FranXX away.

"God! Somebody stop this thing!" shrieked Miku.

"I'll do it." decided Ichigo. Delphinium finally took action, switching its grasp on its twin spearhead swords before flipping on top of the klaxosaur's plated body. After a brief dash on top, Delphinium leaps high in the air and fully extends the sword from its handle before jamming the twin edges through the klaxosaur's entire body, causing blue blood to gush out as she pinned it to the ground. She urged the rest, "Come on, guys!"

All three FranXX nods, "Yeah."

With a battle cry, Argentea extends her wolverine claws then shoves into the klaxosaur, followed by Genista who did the same with her cannon's bayonet and Chlorophytum who just used her hands.

"Okay, we pinned it down, but now what?!" questioned Zorome.

Delphinium repositioned to the razor head end of the klaxosaur, holding one of its spearhead swords inside its mouth. Noticing her struggle, Chlorophytum shifts inside to assists her by supporting the weapon.

"Not on my watch!" Mitsuru affirmed but despite their efforts, none of them were free to attack.

Ichigo cries out, "H-Hiro! We need you!"

Strelizia was still struggling with the klaxosaur's snapping tail but looked back to find their squad waiting for them.

"Think we can do this, Zero Two?" Hiro wondered with a smile, already knowing her response.

Zero Two grins, "Easy!" They easily broke free and instantly bolted to the other side, flipping before landing.

"Hiro!" exulted Ichigo.

With its long spear aimed in front, Strelizia bursts forward as Delphinium and Chlorophytum back away but as if in slow motion, Ichigo swore she saw Strelizia smirking at her before they flew past. Hiro and Zero Two simultaneously roared a battle cry as they ripped through the klaxosaur's entire body, reaching the end with the core on the tip of its spear as the klaxosaur's entire body bursts blue like a firework. As the liquid rains down, everyone watched the red FranXX in awe, especially at the maiden's stamen who panted in exhaustion.

From the monitoring room, Hachi concludes the sortie, "Target neutralized. All units, return to base."

An audio call popped up from Nana, "I can't believe she ignored Papa's orders. Was she planning on this all along?" On her end, she whipped her head back at the Zephilla pair, "Were you two a part of this?"

From afar Hachi could hear Asuna say, "Nope, we didn't say anything about this at all." Her tone painfully matched the same one Zero Two had used earlier and further ticked off Nana. Soon Strelizia's paracapacity data appeared on another holo panel in front of Hachi.

He crosses his arms, informing in his usual monotone voice, "But this changes everything. The numbers conclusively prove Code 016's compatibility with Strelizia. How will Papa and the others react to this?"

* * *

**Before Bed Time**

Ever since that sudden sortie with the worm-like klaxosaur, everyone felt sluggish from their first intensive mission, especially Hiro from being today's ace pilot. For the moment, the time Squad 13 teamed with Strelizia was still fresh in everyone's minds but some had difficulty processing today's events. As for Zephilia's pistil, Asuna laid restlessly in her bed, currently wondering about Zero Two and herself. Earlier from Hiro, she had discovered Zero Two was also an S-class parasite, making her further question what else the two had in common.

Meanwhile, as Plantation 13 continued following its route to Plantation 26, Hiro shuffled in his mattress while reflecting his time as Strelizia's stamen.

_I'd always dreamed of the day I could take flight to the skies above._

_And for a while, I'd given up on it ever coming true._

_But now, I may have finally found a pair of wings to call my own._

Moments later, his eyelids flutter closed. After a few short breaths, his eyes then widen from a sudden spike of pain in his chest. He peeks inside his shirt, examining an abnormal colored patch over his heart. Unlike last time when he checked, small veins began to pop out but rather than worry, he shrugs before tightly shutting his eyes. He shifted around to face the wall with his right hand clutching the fabric over his heart.

_Even if they're double-edged wings that will slowly destroy me,_

_I'll be able to fly one more time._

* * *

**To be honest I've always questioned where Futoshi got his ice cream bar like did all of them get ice cream or did Futoshi find it somewhere in the kitchen? That one scene confuses me so much. Also, most of the lines the characters from Darling in the FranXX say is literally what the subtitles say in the Japanese dub.**

**What is wrong with Kirito? Why is Asuna considered S-class?**

**Have a theory? Then why not go and leave a review.**

**I'm starting to find episode 6 a complete utter pain since its a difficult episode for originality. Battle episodes where Zero Two and Hiro are especially centered take longer to alter but I hoping to finish episodes 5 and 6 sometime between mid-September and early October. Speaking of which, on my profile, I'm still accepting votes for what events should I add as extras to the story. Or leave a review for any extra events you would want to happen, there's a good chance I'll add it to the plot somehow.**


	9. August 24th-25th

**If any of you are wondering, since Sword Art Online Alicization: War of Underworld Part Two is airing while I'm typing this, the storyline of this fanfic won't spoil anything from Alicization Awakening and beyond for now. (I'm mainly an anime viewer so I don't know much of what happened in the books).**

**I don't own anything.**

_**Underlined Italics are Hiro's thoughts**_

* * *

Chapter 7** Your Thorn, My Badge Part One**

**August 24th**

**Mistilteinn **

Before midnight, a titanic metal dome known as Plantation 26 or rather Chrysanthemum, had finally arrived and ceased movement a few miles away from the exterior walls of Cerasus. Various spotlights beamed across the shell of both Plantations as the adults of Plantation 13 and Plantation 26 began processing the magma transfer.

An automated voice echoes out, "Plantation 13 will now carry out the kissing with Plantation 26."

Alarms blared as massive tubes started to extend from each Plantation. From afar, Squad 13 had decided to stay up and voyage past the forest, overlooking the procedure within Mistilteinn's glass dome. Since they were just rookies, none have ever witnessed such an event and most haven't even heard of the term "kissing". Being one of the few who knew another form of kissing, Hiro placed his hand on the glass as he recollected the time he had first encountered Strelizia's pistil.

_When we first met, Zero told me,_

_"A kiss is a very special thing."_

An automated voice repeats, "Plantation 13 will now carry out the kissing with Plantation 26."

_Do the adults kiss?_

_If so, _

_who was it that compared plantations making contact to a kiss?_

Once the two tubes made contact, air hissed out as multiple cylinders locked them together.

"Say, what is "kissing," anyway?" Zorome wondered as he curiously pressed his face closer to the glass.

"You were watching all this time without knowing a thing?" Miku questioned, placing her hands on her hips while turning away with a smug look on her face.

"Shut up, dumbass! Do you know all about it?" retorted Zorome.

Since she didn't exactly know either, Miku flinched before stuttering, "I-It's when two plantations are stuck together, right?"

"That's not all." comments Kokoro with a smile.

"It's a transfer of magma fuel reserves from one plantation to another, through that big pipe." informed Ikuno.

Across from her, Mitsuru crossed his arms, adding, "That fuel is essential for both the adults and us to live. FranXX can't be operated without it, either."

"So we can relax now, right?" clarified Zorome.

"Not exactly. This is a large-scale transfer of magma energy. I've heard it'll attract a huge number of klaxosaurs." informed Goro.

"Are you serious?" exclaimed Zorome.

"A huge number, huh?" murmured Futoshi.

"Don't worry," happily reassures Hiro, gaining confused stares from everyone. "If we work together, we'll be fine. We even have Strelizia now."

"Hiro..." mumbled Goro. Behind him, Mitsuru and Ichigo turned away, both opposing the fact.

Ichigo sighs before sadly agreeing, "Yeah. Hiro's right."

After a couple more minutes of spectating, the group decides to head back to the boarding house and back to sleep. For once the Zephilla pair took the lead back down the illuminated path. Despite his current drowsy mood, Kirito appeared to be troubled by Plantation 26's arrival, specifically of the squad.

Perplexed by his expression, Asuna asks, "What's wrong?"

"Just follow the code." silently recites Kirito. Kikuoka's warning before they've entered the system recently started to unsettle him.

"What?" questioned Asuna. Slowly the pair sped up their pace, gradually distancing themselves from their squad.

"Kikuoka told me something before we dived in."

"Which is?"

The memory played in his thoughts as he echoes Kikuoka's advice, "Don't use your names at all. Try to be like everyone else, don't stand out, just follow the code."

"Ok...but why bring this up now?"

Kirito sighs, "I think we were lucky to be placed in this squad." He turned to Asuna, who just tilts her head, not understanding his point. "I mean, how come we haven't been reprimanded yet by the adults?" He tucks his hands in pockets, "Plus it felt off whenever someone like those guards and Hachi referred us by our code numbers instead."

"Oh yeah, Hiro just gave them names." Few steps later, they reached the front porch.

Since the rest of the squad was still a bit behind, Kirito only opened the door for himself and Asuna, "But he was the first to start this meaning this squad is special."

Asuna finished his sentence, "Which probably means that Squad 26 aren't the same." Kirito silently nods in response. Asuna cups her chin as the door swung shut behind her, "So we're assuming they don't have as much freedom like us, what are you suggesting we do about it?"

"While Squad 26 is around, we'll act like them. Be quieter and reserved like Mitsuru." Slowly they walked upstairs, pausing before they part.

"Good night, Asuna." The door softly opens but neither of them has realized their squad's presence.

"Night, Kirito~ku-" She was cut off from a sudden peck on the lips by Kirito. He gave her a weary grin before turning away to stretch his arms, yawning as he staggers up the stairs towards the stamen wing. Asuna hesitates before walking up the stairs in the opposite direction. She glanced at the door, finally noticing that almost the entire squad stood frozen in place at the door, all looking baffled with their confused stares. Assuming they might have witnessed their kiss, immediately her eyes widen as she rushed down the hall into her shared room.

"I'm not the only one who saw that, right?" Futoshi muttered, turning to the Argentea pair but for once, both were too bewildered to say anything.

While Mitsuru paid no attention, Goro, Kokoro, and Ikuno were also speechless from their brief gesture. It was the first time any of them had seen someone else kiss but since Hiro had already experienced a kiss himself, he was mostly unfazed. He suddenly jolts, remembering that Zero Two wasn't the only person he had kissed. He turns around to face Ichigo who had finally set foot inside the building. Judging by her expression, it appears she hasn't noticed Kirito and Asuna, for now at least. The blue-haired leader looks up at her squad with a concerned expression.

She walked up beside Goro, wondering, "What's going on?"

Before he could utter a word, Zorome finally blurts, "Eh?! W-Why were they sticking their mouths together?!"

Ichigo paused and tried to process his statement. "W-Wait, what?" A pink tinge appeared on her cheeks as she shot a questionable look at Hiro. Before their eyes met, she averts her stare and walks through the group, quickly marching up the stairs to the pistil wing.

"Uh, should we be concerned?" asked Miku as their leader left the room.

Not wanting to get involved, Hiro advised, "For now, let's pretend that never happened and get some sleep." Normally someone would further press on with the matter but due to the restrictions of today's special schedule, they had no choice but to drop it for now. Zorome would usually be that someone but since he was the most enthusiastic about the ceremony, he refrains and follows the boys to their side.

* * *

**Boarding House**

It was almost 7 am, breakfast was prepared and everyone was still awaiting the Zephilla pair. Some were ready to bombard them with questions last night but unfortunately, Kirito already collapsed in his bed and as for Asuna, the last time anyone has seen her was when she retreated to the pistil wing. Ichigo already inspected their room where she found cabinets open and Asuna's bedsheets untampered. Apparently, after grabbing her nightwear, the pistil in question preferred to sneak down and sleep in the restricted room.

Even now in the mess hall, there was a mix of suspicion and anticipation. For the boys, when Goro checked this morning, he expected to see his other black-haired comrade but instead, the top bunk was already fixed. Goro glanced with concern at his partner before checking his page, seeing that it was already 7. He shoves it back in his pocket and rose from his seat but the moment he stood up, his page vibrated as a message popped up from Asuna.

It said 'Don't worry, just eat without us. We'll see you guys later at the Admin Building.' Goro frowns and closed his page as he slumps back in his seat.

He looks over to their blue-haired leader, informing, "Ichigo, lead the prayer. They're not coming." Ichigo sighs and clasps her hands, everyone does the same as she starts.

While their squad dined, the Zephilla pair were preparing to depart. Both have already retrieved their formal uniforms and thanks to Asuna, they can enjoy their breakfast in their usual picnic spot. Once Kirito finished cleaning the kitchen, he turned off the lights and grabbed the picnic basket before walking out to the hallway. Asuna stood against the wall, holding her page along with a folded blanket that contained their caps and cloaks.

"Let's go, Asuna."

She nods and reactivates the camera with her page before walking down the hall with Kirito to the courtyard. For once, they simply ignored the camera in the corner and casually entered the vivid forest, hand in hand once again. They voyaged through the forest in silence, hoping to temporarily ease their mood before today's hectic events. Shortly they arrived near the lake and fortunately this time, there was no pistil lingering in the water. Asuna unfolds the blanket, allowing the two to sit down and unpack their breakfast. Asuna sets their clothing aside before handing Kirito a pair of utensils and one of her bentos. Due to the limited time they had, she stuck with simple dishes of two chicken-filled onigiris, a few rolled omelets, a small salad, and some berries. Kirito drools at the sight, especially since he's been up since 5 am doing surveillance outside, marking down the caretakers' breakfast schedule.

"I hope this makes up for earlier." apologized Asuna as she pulled out two glasses, filling them up with some milk from a thermos she packed.

Kirito nods, "Of course. Just call if I need to do this again."

"Probably tomorrow when they're prepping dinner." Asuna giggles, "Maybe, later on, I could make your favorite." He then fantasizes about the thought of having teriyaki chicken burgers again.

Together they clasp their hands, "Thank you for the food."

After a few bites of her onigiri, Asuna realized, "Wait, when should start calling each other by our codes?"

"Technically, we only need to around Squad 26, but," He smirks, "how about we start when we get to the Admin building?"

She gulps down one of her omelets, "So considering last night, do you think it's a good idea to mess with our squad now?"

He shrugs, "I don't think they'll mind us calling them by their code numbers, and besides, sooner or later everyone will figure out what kissing actually is."

After some consideration, Asuna sighs in agreement, "As long as I'm not the one explaining, then why not..." She shoots a playful grin at him, "Code 096."

* * *

**Two hours later**

**Admin Building**

About 15 minutes ago after his short nap, the black-haired stamen had witnessed Hachi and Nana exit the building. They crossed the bridge and headed down the trail towards the boarding house to retrieve their squad. Somehow they haven't noticed his presence amidst the various bushes. As they faded from his view, Kirito stood up to lean against a tree, with Asuna's cloak and their hats in one hand and his page in the other. Before he checks his page, the bushes rustle to reveal Asuna who had finally returned from the boarding house.

"Did anyone see you?" asked Kirito.

She pants while grabbing her formal wear from him, "Nope," To avoid any encounter with their squad, she simply looped around to the restricted room window and dumped the basket inside before scurrying off.

Once she finished, he asks "Wanna wait inside for them?"

"Sure."

A few minutes later, Hachi and Nana led Squad 13 across the bridge, all wearing the formal attire over their uniforms.

After scanning the area, Kokoro realized, "Where's Kirito and Asuna? Weren't they supposed to be here?"

"Do you think they'll skip the ceremony?" wondered Miku.

Zorome looks up and scoffs, "Sucks for them. They'll miss seeing Plantation 26's adults." As they entered the front door, they were welcomed by the Zephila pair who lounged in the hall near the elevator, oddly appearing more professional than them.

Nana walked up to a wall panel and accessed the elevator, "Let's go, everyone."

Once Squad 13 shuffled inside with Hachi and Nana trailing behind, the doors slid shut and they began to descend. Most of the squad started to fidget with anticipation while some were ready to start an interrogation, specifically their blue-haired leader.

Ichigo approached the couple, calmly wondering, "Didn't see you two this morning. Where have you been?"

Knowing that she's unaware of the kitchen, Asuna plainly responds, "In the forest."

"Ok..." Ichigo looks back and forth between the two, "About last night, what wer-"

Kirito monotonously interjects, "It was late, I don't know what I was doing."

"But-"

He hovered his finger over Ichigo's lips, "We'll answer any question you have after the ceremony, ok Code 015?" She flinched from the unexpected use of her codename.

Miku placed her hands on her hips, clarifying, "So we can't question why you stuck yo-"

"You can but later Code 390," stated Asuna, gaining a few perplexed stares.

"Settle down." Nana clapped her hands, causing everyone to redirect their attention to the adults. "If you don't remember the procedure today them listen up."

Hachi reminds, "When the mayor returns to Plantation 13, that's the cue for both squads will walk down to the center and meet. Shortly, Squad 13 will walk down to Chrysanthemum while hearing a speech from the mayor of Plantation 26. Later return to the center and formally present yourselves to Squad 26."

"A couple of handshakes later, our mayor will give the closing speech and the ceremony is officially over," concluded Nana.

After a few silent nods, everyone, except Mitsuru and the Zephilla pair, continued their excited chatter until the elevator reached its designated level. The door slid open to reveal pairs of guards, all armed and ready to escort the parasites to the venue.

* * *

**Outside between the two Plantations**

_A grand ceremony was conducted with the utmost solemnity._

The event was prepared to temporarily take place beside the magma tubes. Both domes had their metal plating split apart to expose their exterior amphitheater, packed with adult spectators from their respective Inner cities. On each side, banners were displayed while multi-colored confetti was dispersed by the wind. The flagbearers lined up along the red carpet as the two mayors met and shook hands. After they returned to their respective plantations, Squad 13 and Squad 26 walked down the red carpet, halting in the middle just a few meters apart.

_The children of Plantation 26's FranXX squad were also in attendance,_

Both squads were lined up in one row beside their partner however since Zero Two wasn't present, Hiro was the odd stamen out and had to stand slightly behind the Zephilla couple. For Squad 13, the Genista and Argentea pair, along with Ikuno, marveled at the event with enthusiasm or curiosity as the rest observed in a composed manner.

_and they seemed a lot more calm and composed than us._

Across them, Squad 26 differed in multiple ways, such as age, experience, and notably by their appearance. Although they all wore the same uniform, their varied shades of brown hair and brown eyes made them even more identical.

The mayor of Plantation 26 announced, "Boys and girls! The dreadful klaxosaurs are sure to attack the magma reserves in great numbers." As he spoke, flagbearers walked onto the carpet and lowered their large, white flags with the parasites' symbol over the squads. "The fate of these two plantations rest squarely on your shoulders, parasites." The squads crossed paths and headed over to each other's plantation to wave at the crowd. "You are strong! We believe that you will surely bring us victory!"

_Being treated like VIPs gave our morale a big boost._

_But at the same time,_

Hiro falters while the wind ruffles his hair. He then looked up at the sky as the clouds slowly blocked the sun.

_we clearly sensed the coming of a fiercer battle than we had ever experienced before._

The flagbearers scattered as parasites of both Plantations returned to the center for a formal introduction. Each FranXX pair only shook hands with the pair across from them. Apparently from being opposite from the Delphinium duo, Hiro, Kirito and Asuna were the first to meet Squad 26's leader pair. First, they introduced themselves by their gender.

Kirito extended his hand gave him a friendly smile, "Hey, I'm Code 096."

Hiro followed him, "I'm Code 016."

He shook Kirito's hand, responding with the same welcoming expression, "I'm Squad 26's leader, Code 090." He then shook Hiro's hand, "Great to finally meet you, Code 016."

Asuna did the same with his partner, "I'm Code 046. Nice to meet you."

"Code 883. Likewise." Her response was more monotone like an actual NPC.

Then they switched, "Hi, I'm Code 046."

Unexpectedly, Code 090 flinches, "Code 046?" As she silently nods, he briefly examines her before shaking her hand with a warm smile, "I'm Code 090. Good to see you again."

Perplexed by his words, she attempts to pop out a question until suddenly, Kirito gently pulled her back into line. After their brief meeting, the leader units had to greet each other. Once Goro and Ichigo stepped forward, for a moment, Asuna had noticed Code 090 glancing at her with a confused gaze. Before their eyes met, he averts his attention to their blue-haired leader. Then as planned, the mayor of Plantation 13 gave a closing speech and the friendship ceremony has concluded. Adults began to disperse and the parasites regrouped with Hachi and Nana.

'Again?' thought Asuna. Beside her, Kirito realized she was zoning out and started nudging her. His effort was useless so he switched to poking her cheek, finally getting her attention. Suddenly she blurts to Nana, "Are we allowed to explore Plantation 26?"

Nana informs, "While they're here, you're permitted to cross Plantations anytime from 9 am to 7 pm."

"Then let's go right now!" bubbled Zorome. With that in mind, Futoshi followed and the two started jogging away from the group.

Ichigo sighs at her teammates' antics before shouting, "You two won't have much time to explore! You might miss lunch!"

Beside her, Goro adds, "And you still need to change!"

Immediately the two paused in their tracks, nervously looking at each other as they began pondering their choices. Knowing exactly what they're planning to do, Kirito hands Asuna his hat and rushed towards the eager stamens, startling both of them with his swift arrival.

Kirito threw his arms over their shoulders, "If you agree to go after lunch, I might try to persuade Nana and have us eat dinner with them."

As he switched between the two, they instantly beamed once more, "Really?!"

The black-haired stamen grins, "Come' on, let's hurry and go so we can come back."

Simultaneously Zorome and Futoshi pumped their fists in the air, "Yeah!" Together, the trio marched back to the rest of their squad, allowing everyone to finally travel to the elevator.

After reclaiming his hat, Kirito did as promised and sped up to their red-haired caretaker, politely wondering, "May I request something?"

"Of course, what is it?"

"Would it be possible for all of us to have dinner with Squad 26?" Nana glanced at him, inquiring the reason behind his unusual request. Kirito continues, "I thought it would be best to further acquaint ourselves. Learning more about each other could improve our cooperation in the upcoming battle."

"Hmm," Nana briefly turned to Hachi who just silently nods in response. She returned to Kirito, "Ok, your suggestion will be under consideration."

Immediately Hachi used his tablet and began contacting the adults of Plantation. Meanwhile, from behind, Asuna had gradually faltered from the group, causing her to barely miss the elevator as a result. Fortunately, since the ceremony was still fresh in everyone's mind, practically no one had seen her fumble.

Being the only one to notice his girlfriend's odd behavior, Kirito shuffles near her and whispers, "Hey, what's wrong?"

Asuna shakes her head, reassuring him, "Oh it's nothing much. Just something that Code 090 said."

"Hm? What did he say?"

"Earlier, the way he spoke sounded like he knew me or we've already met."

"He probably heard your Code number before or thought you were someone else." surmised Kirito.

"Maybe but," She raised her hand up to her forehead, speculating, "I don't know...It feels like I knew him."

* * *

**August 25th **

In the stamen wing, out of all the double-digits in the shared room, Goro was the first to wake up. While Kirito and Hiro snoozed, he softly rolled out of the sheets, removing his nightwear before grabbing his newly washed uniform from the wall compartment.

"Hey, you two. Wake up." Goro yawns as he zips up his uniform.

He gently tugged Kirito's leg, causing him to groan, "Give me a minute..."

Goro shrugs then checks on his childhood friend who was still wrapped up in his blanket as he faced the wall. He chuckles, "It's morning. Rise and shine." He reached out to touch Hiro's face but retracted upon contact, for his skin was oddly warmer than normal. While Hiro slowly rolled out the bottom bunk, Goro took a moment to examine his friend's pasty appearance. With his attention solely on Hiro, he hadn't noticed something kicking at this arm.

"Can I get down now?" Kirito yawns while dangling his legs over the ladder, subconsciously using his foot to nudge Goro's arm off the ladder.

Quickly Goro snapped out of his daze and moved away, plopping down on his bed as the two black-haired stamens got dressed.

Once they were done, the trio headed down the hall to the bathroom, each claiming a sink with a face towel. Goro removed his glasses, washing his face before brushing his teeth.

He glanced at Hiro, finally asking, "Are you okay? Your body was burning up like crazy."

Hiro turns off the faucet, reassuring, "I'm perfectly fine. If anything, I feel really light on my feet."

Goro frowns, "You're not lying, are you?"

"Of course not. I actually want to go train right now." His response made the blonde pause.

Despite doubting his statement, Goro simply murmured, "Okay, then."

Since there was still some time before breakfast, they walked over to the living room, finding the rest of their squad lounging inside.

"Yesterday's ceremony was something else, huh?" Kokoro comments with a smile as the trio claimed one of the circular couches. "I was so excited, I had trouble getting to sleep last night."

"Plantation 26's squad leader seemed like a nice guy." hummed Miku. A huge grin appeared on her face as she remembers their interaction from last night.

"Is he the kind of guy you'd like to ride with?" wondered Kokoro.

"Better him than the boys we're stuck with." Miku looked over to Ikuno, asking, "Don't you agree?"

The purple pistil shrugs, "No. I don't really care."

Miku crossed her arms and rolls her eyes, "Wow, what a wet blanket." She redirects to her left towards Zephilla's pistil, "What about you, Asuna?"

Asuna jolts with confusion, "Huh?"

"The twin-tailed pistil gasps, "What? Don't tell me you haven't noticed their leader sneak a peek at you?"

"He has?" wondered Asuna, trying to recall if she had seen him.

Miku sighs, "Must be nice." She glanced at Asuna's partner, teasing, "Looks like Zephilla has some stamen competition. Better do something soon, Kirito."

Kirito leans back against the cushion and shrugs, "Why bother? It's just piloting." He then motions to girlfriend, "And I don't think Asuna would pilot with someone she barely knows." He briefly cringes at the thought of Asuna and Code 090 together in the piloting position. Across from him, Zorome and Futoshi had maintained their joyous mood, both thinking about the ceremony.

Zorome crosses his arms behind his head, stating, "It gives you a real lift when the adults have high hopes for you, huh?"

Futoshi happily sighs, "Yeah. It shows they really need us." Suddenly Zorome sprung up onto his feet, raising his right-hand high as he recites the words of Plantation 26's mayor.

"Boys and girls! You are strong! We believe that you will surely bring us victory!" Some of the squad chuckles at his word by word outburst. "And I'll be the one who leads us to that victory!"

"You mean Hiro will," added Ichigo, making him the center of attention again.

"Oh, yeah. You really shone in the previous battle." compliments Kokoro.

"But how are you feeling? All good?" asked Futoshi.

Without hesitation, Hiro responds, "Well, yeah. Everything's fine."

"Awesome!" comments Futoshi.

Miku mentions, "Looks like the "three times and you die" rumor was all nonsense, then."

"That, or he's extremely compatible with her." noted Ikuno.

"Thanks. But we wouldn't have won without you guys." Hiro justifies as his blood started pumping again. "I had a hard time keeping up with everything happening, but it felt just right. If I can keep riding, I hope you'll let me fight with you as part of the team."

"Heh. Don't get cocky, man." Zorome muttered as he crossed his arms, "All you did was get through that one time."

"Do you really have to be such a spoilsport?" asked Goro.

Hiro remained unfazed by his judgment. "Zorome..."

"Huh?"

"I'll do my best not to be a burden." resumed Hiro, walking up to Zorome with his hand out. "Let's keep fighting together."

Zorome's eyes widen, surprised by the red stamen's words. "O-Okay..." Immediately he felt superior again, reverting back to his prideful nature as he gladly shook Hiro's hand. "Jeez, fine. Keep it up, all right?"

"Big words, little man." giggled Miku, provoking her partner again.

"Oh, shut up! I just, uh..." He was at a loss for words and began mumbling, "You know, as the team's ace pilot, I'm trying to..."

Miku shrugs and cuts off his attempts to recover, "Okay, okay." As their discussions continued, Kokoro diverts her attention to a certain olive-haired stamen who appeared troubled as he exits the room.

Soon everyone followed the purple stamen to the main entrance, heading downstairs towards the mess hall.

While Ichigo and Hiro walked down the stairs, Ichigo had noticed something about the black-haired stamen, "Hang on, Hiro." He paused near the grandfather clock, allowing Ichigo to reach the collar of his uniform. Upon contact, he cautiously backs away from her, subconsciously placing his hand on his nape. Ichigo lowered her hands, quietly noting, "Your collar was bent out of shape. When will you learn to take better care of these things?" Hiro eased up as she continued walking down the stairs. "By the way, I was amazed you realized what I was going for in the last battle."

Hiro started following her down, "Well, I have known you forever."

She slowed her pace, looking over at him with a smile, "I knew you'd work something out."

Futoshi marched blindly towards the stamen table, happily chanting, "Breakfast, breakfast..." Behind him, Kirito chuckles as he walks through the door, and for some reason, everyone fell silent.

To him, it seemed like they were looking at directly him until someone began tugging his right arm, "Morning, Da-" From the voice, it sounded like Asuna which confused him since she was standing soundlessly next to Miku. Kirito paused to face the speaker and the first thing he saw was pink hair over her teal eyes.

Immediately, Zero Two released him and backed away, muttering, "Oh, you're just my darling's double."

"Yeah, totally not Kirito. Merely Hiro's twin." Kirito jokes before smirking, "Morning, Zero Two. It's nice to see you, too." When he finished, she distances herself even further, glaring at him before turning her head away to look out the window. Amused by the situation, Kirito rolls his eyes and started approaching her. Unexpectedly, after hearing a faint chuckle from behind, Zero Two jolts and redirects her attention to the mess hall door.

Kirito regarded her stare and turned to see the two teen digit parasites enter the room, "Anyway, back then..."

A feminine voice interrupted Ichigo, "Morning, darling!" Zero Two eagerly walked up to her actual darling, shoving Kirito out of the way in the process, and luckily he only stumbled against a chair.

When the teen numbered codes recognized Zero Two's presence, the brief tension between them that had just disappeared instantly resurfaced. "M-Morning." stuttered Hiro. Ichigo silently observes the pair, unmistakably bothered by the short distance between him and pink-haired pistil.

"This way." Zero Two clutched his wrist and guided him to the stamen's table.

She turns away as Hiro utters, "Uh, wait..." Zero Two carelessly sat down, claiming a seat that uneased Genista's and Argentea's stamen.

"You're a girl! Why're you coming to sit here?" chided Zorome, watching the two with disgust. Goro stared curiously while, as always, Mitsuru ignored the scene.

"And that's my seat..." mumbled Futoshi.

"Y-Yeah! Get back to your table!" demanded Zorome.

"Pipe down," said Ichigo, gaining everyone's attention. "Take your seats already. It's time to pray."

Futoshi recites, "But...my seat..."

"Want to sit over here, then?" suggests Kokoro, making Miku and Ikuno groan.

He lights up, "Can I really?"

"Yeah, you can sit beside me," smiled Asuna, patting the chair next to her.

"Thanks!" grinned Futoshi.

Zorome exclaims with disapproval but unfortunately, he was powerless to interfere. For now, he settled down in his seat between Goro and Kirito, allowing Ichigo to begin. While everyone closed their eyes and clasped their hands together, Zero Two quickly seized the honey pitcher and started pouring an unreasonable amount of golden honey onto her meal.

"May Papa never starve. May Papa never thirst. May Papa's heart be filled with peace for eternity. Let's eat."

Everyone echoes, "Let's eat."

As everyone dug into their food, Zero Two held her honey covered bread slice, happily offering it to Hiro, "Here, darling. Say 'Ahh'." He hesitates before nodding and leaned in for a bite, obtaining Goro and Zorome's attention. After he gulps, she asks, "Like it?"

"Y-Yeah, it's good."

"You can eat my share," stated Zero Two.

Across the table, Zorome comments with a fork in his mouth, "Lucky him. I wanna try something like that, too."

"Why not ask your partner, then?" question Goro.

With a dazed expression, Zorome responds, "What? I'd rather ask a cute girl, like Kokoro-chan." The moment he looks at the pistil table, he exclaims when caught the Genista pair copying the Strelizia duo.

Futoshi sticks his fingers up in a V-shape as Kokoro giggles, "We see, we do."

Miku got up and leaned over the table, wondering, "What's with you? So easily influenced." She finished by giving her partner a threatening glare, making him flinch with fear.

"You know Zorome, you could just come here and ask," affirmed Asuna as she laid down her utensils.

Zorome's eyes widen, "S-So you'll do that for me?" Without a response from Asuna, he stood up from his seat and started walking over, "Thanks, Asu-wait what are you doing?" Surprisingly she rose from her seat and casually strolled to the stamen table with her plate and utensils.

"I'm switching seats with you." Asuna swiftly swapped their drinks and meals around, explaining, "In my seat, you could ask both Kokoro and your cute partner to feed you. With me in your seat, I get to do the same with Kirito~kun." Zorome stares speechlessly as she sat down, struggling to determine whether he should feel more grateful or irritated by her actions.

"Zorome, would you like a bite?" invited Kokoro with the honey-covered bread still in her hand. Without another doubt, he sped over to Asuna's seat and sat down to take a bite, making both his partner and Ikuno sigh. When he leaned back and gulped down, he felt an odd sensation of pleasure.

Zorome sighs, "This makes bread taste even bet-"

"Then how about this?" Miku quipped as she cuts him off by shoving a slice of honeyed bread in his mouth.

He quickly bit down before ripping the bread out of his mouth. After chugging down some milk, he turned to his twin-tailed partner, demanding, "What are you doing?!"

"You're the one who wanted to be fed so let your cute partner feed you!" Miku grabbed her fork, stabbing one of her cherry tomatoes before forcing it into Zorome's mouth.

Across the room, Zero Two ignored the two and continued feeding her darling, "One more time. Say, 'Ahh'."

Hiro leaned towards her once more and ate the last scrap of honeyed bread. Zero Two grinned at her darling's satisfaction and turned back to her plate, preparing to offer an assortment of honeyed foods. As she lifted a strip of honey-covered meat, something across the table piqued her interest. Similarly to the other FranXX pairs, Asuna fed her partner but to Zero Two's surprise, Kirito had returned the favor. From observing his gesture, she pouts and faced Hiro who was about to eat the sausage on his fork.

"Hey, darling..." She stops him by tugging his sleeve with her honey-soaked hand, accidentally staining it.

Without noticing the stain, Hiro laid down his fork, wondering, "What is it, Zero Two?"

Rather than respond, she quickly shifts her stare between him and the Zephilla couple, hoping he'll understand what she desires. Perplexed, he followed her gaze, realizing it was directed at Kirito who was offering Asuna some of his food. It took him a moment to comprehend the situation. Hiro reached out to grab the honey pitcher, pouring some of the golden substance onto his plate. He smears a strip of meat onto the honey before holding it up to Zero Two's mouth. The red pistil happily chowed it down and for some reason it tasted even sweeter, causing her to release a soft squeal.

Being one of the few that heard her, Kirito comments, "Too sweet for you?"

Annoyed, Zero Two frowns and waved him off, using her honey-soaked hand. Simultaneously, Goro and Asuna lean away as Kirito jolts, for he felt some honey splat onto his face, making both pistils at their table giggle. Mitsuru rolls his eyes while Hiro covers his mouth to stifle his chuckle.

After her short giggle fit, Asuna grabbed her napkin, "Here I'll get it." She subconsciously got closer to Kirito and wiped the honey off his face.

"You're doing it wrong," stated Zero Two.

Asuna paused from wiping the rest and glanced over at the red pistil, "Then how would you do it?"

"Just watch," smirks Zero Two. Asuna observes her as she briefly examines Hiro before pointing at his face, spotting some honey hidden above his chin. "Hey, darling, you got something here."

"Huh? Where?" He began feeling around his face until Zero Two clutched his hands.

"Right here." She lets go of his hands and wrapped her arms over his shoulders, pulling him closer to her face. Suddenly she licked below his lips, enjoying his dangerously sweet taste while everyone, except the Zephilla couple, cringed at the sight. Zero Two looks back at Asuna and grins, "That's how."

Unfazed by her action, Asuna laid down her napkin, murmuring, "Oh, I see now." To everyone's surprise, Asuna cupped Kirito's face with both hands and pulled him towards her, making him blush as she licked the remaining honey off his cheek. After seeing the flustered expressions on the Squad's faces, the ruby-horned pistil's stifled chuckle turned into a loud chortle.

Soon Zero Two settles down, wiping a tear from her eye as she faced Asuna once more, "You're different. I like that." Hiro watched the two pistils share a laugh, both surprised and relieved that someone's willing to befriend Zero Two.

At what was originally the pistil table, without bothering to face the two FranXX pairs, Ikuno questions, "You all saw it. Are you gonna do that too?"

The Genista and Argentea pairs exchanged uneasy glances, appearing either flustered or timid when they faced their respective partners. Immediately they refrained from feeding each other and returned to their separate plates, deciding to dine in awkward silence. Amidst the tension, Goro glanced over at his partner but to his dismay, Ichigo looked rather upset as she stared into her teacup, observing her reflection while the two couples continued enjoying each other's meals.

* * *

**After Breakfast**

"Thanks for the food." All plates were cleared and for the first time, both tables had run out of honey.

One by one, the parasites strolled out of the room. Once the Strelizia and Zephilla pairs approached the entrance, the Delphinium duo quickly intervenes, closing the door behind them.

Annoyed by their presence, Zero Two demands, "Move,"

"I will," Immediately, Zero Two cuts Ichigo off and resumed her approach, "after we address your behavior."

The red pistil rolls her eyes as she walks up before the blue-haired leader, hanging her head uncomfortably too close to her face. With an intimidating expression, she iterates, "Get out our way. My darling needs to show me around."

Hiro tilts his head, sputtering, "I am?"

Zero Two looks over her shoulder, frowning, "Yes, you are." She marched back to the blue-eyed stamen and squeezed his wrist, heading back towards Ichigo, "Now let's go."

"Wait..." Goro reached out to stop her. However, before he was able to lay a finger on her, Zero Two smacks his arm away. Hiro tried stalling her movements but after realizing his futile attempts, he resorts to pointless efforts of slipping out of her grasp. "Can't we at least hear what they have to say?"

"Later," Before he could continue, Zero Two turned back and slammed the mess hall door.

Ichigo sighs, "What is with her..." She redirects her attention to Goro, asking, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," He suddenly flinches before rubbing his arm, "but she hits hard."

"You'd be surprised at what she can do," noted Asuna from being one of the very few to witness Zero Two's agile feats.

"But why hold us back? What did we do?" wondered Kirito as he leaned against the stamen table.

Ichigo gestured towards Asuna, "That thing you did earlier. Please don't do it again." She placed her hands on her hips, Stop trying what she does. Her influence could affect out numbers."

"It could change them in a good way. Kokoro fed Futoshi like Zero Two and they looked like they were enjoying it," mentions Asuna.

"But things like how you licked Kirito's cheek isn't good." justified Ichigo.

"And to be honest, it's uncomfortable for us to see you do that," added Goro as he rubbed his nape.

"Sorry about that." apologized Kirito. Now that he thought about it a lot of his friends, especially his female ones, have been bothered numerous times by their affectionate displays. "but it's kinda a habit since we do stuff like that regularly."

"Even this?" Ichigo points at her cheek.

"Well Asuna did surprise me with that but since it was her, I was fine with it." shrugged Kirito as his gaze lands on Ichigo. "Usually it's not a lick though." He ends by giving her a wink, implying a certain detail.

Understanding what he meant, a blush began creeping on her cheeks, making Ichigo abruptly turn her head away. After a brief moment of recollection, she glares at the black-haired stamen, "Still you're-"

"How about you try it for yourself?" suggested Asuna as she headed towards the pistil table, snatching something from the fruit tray before walking up to the blonde stamen. He expected her to feed him but instead, she pulled his wrist and placed the fruit onto his palm, folding his fingers over the item. After Asuna withdrew her hand, Goro opens his fist, finding a single strawberry resting on his palm.

"Ichigo..." pondered Goro.

His thought was interrupted when Kirito shoved him from behind, "Now go on." Goro stumbles towards his blue-haired partner, making her jolt from the sudden approach. Flustered by the situation, he averts his stare to the berry in his shaky hand.

Noticing his discomfort, Ichigo sighs, "Fine, just give it." Wanting to get this over with, she looks away and opens her mouth, patiently waiting for him to hand over the berry. Goro shook his head and took a deep breath, clenching his other fist while hesitantly feeding Ichigo with the other. Once she gulped the strawberry, the other three parasites in the room curiously anticipated her reaction.

"Well?" wondered Asuna.

Ichigo gave Zephilla's pistil a perplexed stare, "Well what?"

She queries, "Like...did the taste change, or do you feel different in some way?"

"It tasted sweet as always, but..." The blue-haired leader then briefly pondered on the other question before plainly shrugging, "I still feel the same."

"Then how about you feed Goro this time?" suggested Kirito as he turns around, reaching for the fruit tray at the stamen table. Before he could offer her the grape, Asuna quickly pulled Ichigo aside as a certain thought came to mind.

She whispers, "If Goro was Hiro, how would you feel right now?" Instantly Ichigo flinches, her cheeks flushed a rosy shade as she sped towards the exit.

Before leaving, she glanced back at Goro, mumbling, "Thanks..." Upon seeing her flustered expression, he speechlessly nods as she closed the door, unaware of the blush appearing on his cheeks.

Asuna walked up to the blonde stamen, leaning towards him, "So you're gonna wait?"

Goro jolts, raising his eyebrows, "With what?"

"You have a crush on her right?" questioned Kirito, throwing the berry into his mouth while his roommate gave him a confused stare. Noticing, he restates, "You care about her want to protect her forever, right?"

"Of course...she's my partner," Goro looks down to the carpeted floor and sighs, "But I know she has a thing for Hiro and I don't want to get in the way of her chance to be happy with him."

"I understand that you don't want to interfere but Ichigo's going to suffer the longer you stay quiet, " noted Asuna, placing her hands on his shoulders while Kirito opens the door behind her. "Just think about it."

"If she does get hurt in the end...don't hesitate to comfort her." advised Kirito as he extends his right arm behind Asuna, pulling her close to rest a hand on her shoulder. To Goro, his small gesture emitted a warm, soothing aura. The Zephilla couple exited the room, leaving the blue stamen alone to reflect his thoughts.

* * *

Together, the Strelizia pair roamed around the building, starting on the first floor. Since the bathroom was just next door, Hiro decided to start the tour there. "Over here, we have fixed times for waking up, bathing, and going to sleep. All of it. Everything's laid out for us, even the clothes we wear and the food we eat."

Rather than explain everything fully, he silently observed Zero Two as she balanced onto the bath walls, ready to answer all of her questions.

"What's next?" wondered Zero Two as she hopped off the wall, wandering back towards the locker section.

"Let's finish this floor first." Hiro follows her to the main entrance and took the lead, "We'll go outside after I show you upstairs."

With Zero Two trailing behind, Hiro wandered across the foyer into the library, and surprisingly, the red pistil perused the vast collection. At first, she skimmed past shelves packed with various literary genres until all of a sudden, she pulled out books from different sections and just glanced at them before dropping the slabs onto the carpeted floor, making Hiro's eyes widen. He quickly crouched down to retrieve the fallen books and for once, replaced the volumes without bothering to organize, despite knowing he'll tick off two of his squadmates. Finished with his stack, he looked across the room, spotting Zero Two reaching for another book.

Before she threw it away, Hiro asks, "Are you looking for something?"

"Hmm..." Zero Two scanned the book and after seeing a simple crown on the cover, she threw it back over her shoulder, "'Not really..."

Hiro rushed forwards and barely caught the book, placing it down onto a nearby table. "Be carefu-" He paused and looked around the room for her, finally realizing that she walked out. Hiro sighs and moved the remaining books onto the table before leaving. A couple of rooms later, the two trekked upstairs to one of the living rooms. After scanning the room, Zero Two noticed the glass cases mounted on the wall and began to curiously examine the items inside. According to Hiro or rather the adults, inside were old items that have been used by humans before the age of klaxosaurs.

"Oh really..." mumbled Zero Two.

When she was done, Hiro led her down the hall towards the stamen wing. Before turning around the corner, he paused to look out the window, "This entire forest was built to fine-tune the parasites' numbers, apparently."

"Is that why there's a ceiling, too?" wondered Zero Two.

"Probably. But even with the ceiling, it does rain here," added Hiro.

"Rain?" questioned Zero Two. Unlike the parasites, she has never seen such a form of precipitation or even recalls hearing the word 'rain'.

"Yeah. Water comes pouring down from the ceiling."

Zero Two's eyes widen with excitement, "Wow, I wanna see that! Do it for me!"

Her sudden request made Hiro wince, "I can't. Papa and the others decide when it happens."

She pouts, restating, "I wanna see it right now. Do it."

"But..." He pondered for a moment, trying to think of a response but Zero Two quickly grew tired and diverts her attention to the window, dropping the discussion overall.

Shortly they turned the corner and found Goro walking out of their shared room. Once the blonde stamen noticed the Strelizia pair, he moved out of the way without question and leaned against the wall, allowing Zero Two to explore the room. With a troubled expression, Goro observed the horned pistil as she began carelessly jumping on his bed.

"By the way, why'd you suddenly ask me to show you around?" wondered Hiro while watching his partner bounce around.

"Why? Because...I'm going to live here, too." happily announced Zero Two with a smile, instantly causing Hiro and Goro to flinch with confusion. Apparently they weren't the only ones, for Argentea's stamen was nearby and abruptly popped in next to Goro, visibly disturbed with Zero Two's presence.

"Eh?! Wh-What's a girl doing here?" fumed Zorome, interrupting Zero Two fun. "Stay out of the boys' wing!"

Hiro stutters, "S-Sorry! We'll be right out!"

"So should I leave too?" The black-haired stamen paused and looked up to face the feminine voice, finding Zephilla's pistil arriving next to Goro.

Zorome clenched his fists with frustration, demanding, "Why are you here again?!"

"If you're trying to find Kirito, he's not here," notified Goro.

"I was actually looking for you, Goro. Ichigo's heading out soon and she asked me to find you," informed Asuna.

Before Goro could say anything, Zero Two swiftly hopped over and clung to Asuna, declaring, "You're coming with us outside,"

Asuna faced the red pistil, giving her a perplexed stare, "Ok but why?"

"I wanna know where we'll have our double date," smirked Zero Two, discomforting the boys as she rested her chin onto Asuna's shoulder.

"She can come but let's go, Zero Two!" Hiro quickly gave Zero Two her shoes before subconsciously seizing both hers and Asuna's hand. He hung his head low while leading the two pistils out of the stamen wing. From witnessing their gesture, Zorome placed a hand on his hip and watched with annoyance as they jogged down the hall.

He leans forwards, commenting, "The heck? Look at them, holding hands and all." Goro copied Zorome and turned to overlook the trio with a worried gaze directed at the black-haired stamen.

* * *

**After typing the name of Asuna and Kirito's FranXX so many times, somehow I think I forgot the original spelling. But then again, all of you know what I'm talking about in the end.**

**The poll on my profile i****s still open until episode 6 is posted and go vote if you haven't.**

**Episode 5 might have a third part since it's actually a good episode to add more fillers so episode 6 might be delayed. Also, w****ith a month of summer left and unfinished school work awaiting me, the rest of episode 5 might be posted a bit later than I planned but it really depends on if I end up being stuck with writer's block again.**

**If you don't know what the poll is for:**

**Throughout the entire Darling in the FranXX timeline, some months don't have events from the episodes. I could try to add extra chapters for special events, so should I add additional chapters with these topics? (You can choose all three if you like them. Also if anyone has other ideas, leave them as reviews in the most recent chapter of Code 000.) If not then review saying you want no extra chapters.**

**\- Kirito and Asuna's (maybe Hiro's) Birthday **

**\- If possible or wanted, Aincrad Anniversary **

**\- Memorials for Eugeo and Yuuki (adds extra for when some of the Nines die) **


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